


Marco

by the_purple_pen



Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Age Difference, Angst, Consensual Underage Sex, Danger, Gay Sex, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-10-05
Packaged: 2018-12-18 12:06:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 46,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11874030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_purple_pen/pseuds/the_purple_pen
Summary: This story is complete and will be posted in chapters.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is complete and will be posted in chapters.

Max groaned when he saw the handwritten ticket get jammed into the rail amongst the sea of slips waiting to be filled. He knew those were top priority, even if he didn’t understand why. He was in the weeds, one of the other cooks having not shown up that night, but he pushed the new order to the front and braced himself for the wrath of the waiters who would just have to...wait. He smiled at the pun in his head. Sometimes it was the little things that got him through the day.

Switching up his workflow like that threw him off his game and he hissed as his arm came into contact with a hot pan. He didn’t stop though, and soon enough he had the extra order ready to go and the remaining orders well underway. He set the boxes to the side of his work station and waited for the pickup. 

Nico entered the restaurant and nodded to the hostess as he passed. He was a regular at the Italian steakhouse and came in so often he went right toward the kitchen to get the pick-up order he knew would be ready for him. The men who were back at his uncle’s apartment didn’t like to wait for what they wanted and that fact had been conveyed to the owner of the restaurant who always made sure the order was ready when Nico arrived. 

He walked up to the kitchen work station, frowning when he saw the stacks of take out boxes. Nico wondered if he would be able to carry them all by himself. 

Max felt the young man’s presence before he saw him. He glanced over his shoulder in time to see the frown. “Guess they didn’t tell you they doubled their order today.” He often wondered what the kid’s story was, but he also realized that if the people he worked for were connected enough to get the kind of service they did it was probably best not to ask questions. 

Nico looked at the dark-haired man in the black chef’s coat and shrugged. It didn’t matter if they told him or not; they expected him to return with the order, no matter the size. Nico lifted the first stack and was not surprised when it was heavier than it looked. 

It was Max’s turn to frown. The rail-thin boy seemed to bend under the weight, and Max was sure the boxes were going to take a tumble before he even made it out the door. “Stop,” he said, laying a hand on top of the pile to steady them. “Let me get you a bag.” 

Nico set the boxes back down with a mumbled “Thanks”, his eyes averted until the cook turned back around. He watched the taller man walk away. 

Max returned with one of the giant bags they used for large carryout orders and started to stack the boxes inside. “This can’t possibly be all for you,” he said, eyeing the boy as he worked. “You don’t eat this much in a month judging by the size of you.” 

The comment earned the cook eye contact, but no response. Nico hurried to help get the last of the boxes into the bag. He picked it up and turned to go, but not before mumbling his thanks again. He was careful to not jostle the food in the boxes, but his pace was as determined as it was when he’d arrived as he exited the restaurant. 

Max watched him leave. It was the most interaction he’d ever had with the young man despite the fact that he was in regularly for a pick up. He didn’t have time to give him all that much thought as a fresh batch of orders came in and he got right back to work. 

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Nico grumbled to himself as he descended the stairs. He hated the way his uncle treated him like a second class citizen, especially when he had his “associates” at his place. The added presence of the men seemed to fuel his uncle’s need to impress and Nico was often the brunt of barbs and jibes to entertain his fellow goons. 

It wasn’t as if Nico had a choice in the matter. His uncle was his only family and when his mother died a few years ago, he’d taken him in. He treated him like a housekeeper and an errand boy to earn his keep, but at least Nico had a roof over his head. He knew what happened to kids in foster care in New York City and he didn’t want any part of being in the system. 

Nico walked the block to the restaurant and went inside. There was no one at the front, but he never waited anyway. No one ever bothered him, probably because he always looked like he knew where he was going. Nico made his way toward the kitchen, but the order must not have been ready since there was nothing waiting for him. 

Max rounded the corner from the stockroom and found the young man waiting by his station. “I got you a bag in advance this time,” he said, handing it over. 

Nodding his thanks, Nico took the bag, looking into the cook’s brown eyes for only a moment. “They really like your food,” he said quietly.

“And what about you?” Max said, noting that he’d said _they_ rather that we. “Do you like it?”

Nico hesitated. He’d offered the compliment in return for the favor of the bag without realizing that he would be initiating a conversation. “I like the stuffed artichokes,” he replied. The few times that he had managed to get them before they were devoured by his uncle and his friends. 

Max kept his attention divided between the pans on the burners and the young man, finding that for some reason he was holding his breath as if it might startle him into running off. “Can you wait another 30 seconds or will that get you in trouble?”

Curious as to why the cook would want him to wait, Nico shrugged again before answering with a soft “I can wait.”

Max smiled and juggled a few of the pans, keeping the three ring circus that was his station artfully balanced. He started a fresh set of artichokes, hoping table three didn’t mind the wait, and grabbed a take out box for the ones that were just about finished. 

Nico watched as he waited, silently admiring the efficiency of the cook’s movements as he commanded the organized chaos of his kitchen. He made it look easy and Nico knew from his sparse attempts to cook that it was never that easy. 

Once the artichokes were boxed up, Max started to hand them over and then changed his mind and pulled his hand back. “These are for you...only you, no sharing with them...on one condition.” 

Eyeing the box of artichokes eagerly, Nico raised his gaze to the cook. “What condition?” he asked softly.

“You have to tell me your name,” Max said with a smile. 

Suspicious by nature, Nico hesitated, but the cook’s easy smile seemed genuine and trustworthy. “Nico,” he said finally.

“It’s nice to officially meet you Nico, I’m Max” he said, realizing that for the first time he was getting a good look at Nico’s face. Normally the boy had his head down and eyes averted. He had expressive brown eyes and Max found himself wishing that they weren’t always hidden behind the flop of hair that hung down his forehead. 

Shifting nervously, Nico nodded then mumbled quickly, “Nice to meet you.” He wasn’t used to politeness and he wasn’t sure how to respond. 

Max could tell that Nico was uncomfortable so he didn’t press any further. “All yours,” he said, handing over the small box. “See you next time.” 

Nico took the artichokes, still a bit shell-shocked by the generous gesture. He nodded again as he backed away, looking at Max one more time before he finally turned to leave. 

Max wasn’t bothered by the lack of a thank you, he could tell the younger man wasn’t at all used to being given things of his own. He waved after him and then turned his attention back to the line. 

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Max glanced over at the stack of boxes at the end of his station and then looked up at the clock. It was unusual for them to sit this long and he found himself hoping nothing bad had happened to Nico. 

There was a lull in service so he happened to be just standing around when Nico finally made an appearance. Max frowned though when he just wound his way through to the kitchen with his head down, never looking up. He’d hoped that his peace offering from before had earned him a little trust from the younger man. 

Nico approached the station. He knew Max was there and that he was looking at him. It felt wrong to Nico to ignore him after the cook had been nothing but nice to him. He lifted his head to look at Max as he greeted him. “Hi,” Nico said quietly.

Max winced as he took in the black eye that Nico was sporting. At least a day old his brain automatically filled in, judging by the color. “Everything ok?” he asked quietly, gathering up the containers. 

“Yeah, sure,” Nico replied, slumping his shoulders in obvious embarrassment. 

Max started to say something but then bit it back. He didn’t want to force Nico to talk about something he was so obviously trying to avoid. He worked in silence for a few moments and then handed over the bag. “Let me know if you need something,” he said, hoping that Nico could feel everything that was unsaid. 

Nico took the bag with a mumbled “Okay” then turned to leave. He stopped suddenly as if he’d forgotten something. Nico turned back, looking at Max, as he spoke again. “The artichokes were good,” he said quickly, rushing to leave before Max had a chance to respond. 

Watching Nico rush out the door, Max’s heart ached for him. He felt a connection to Nico, even moreso now. He just didn’t know how to help him. 

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Nico walked toward the kitchen, but it was an unfamiliar face who greeted him and told him that his order would be ready in a few minutes. 

“Max?” he asked the other man. 

“He’s out back. Smoke break.” The other cook gestured toward the door at the back of the kitchen. 

Nico nodded in response then glanced around the restaurant. He waited for another couple of minutes then made the decision to go in search of Max. Nico passed the kitchen work station, walking through to the back where he pushed open the door. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Max standing near the door, his cigarette in hand. 

Max looked up at the sound of the door. He was about to shout that he had five more minutes on his break when he saw that it was Nico. He couldn’t see his face, the light from the kitchen backlit him and left his features in shadow. “Hey,” he said. “It’s not your normal night.” 

“They want what they want. When they want it,” Nico said as he let the door close. 

“And they are used to getting their way,” Max said, a statement rather than a question. He stubbed out his cigarette and moved a few steps closer, hoping to get a better look at Nico’s face. 

Nico nodded, stepping aside when Max moved. “You can finish your break,” he said. He wasn’t sure why he’d decided to go in search of Max and now he was regretting his decision for interrupting the other man.

“It’s ok,” Max said, noting how Nico moved in time with him to keep distance between them. “If I’d known you were coming I would have fired up some artichokes.” 

Nico’s lips twitched with the barest of smiles. “They’re good. Not as good as my mom’s. But good.”

“Not as good as mom’s? Ouch,” Max said, pressing his hand over his heart. “I’ll just have to try harder next time,” he said, pleased to have wrenched a smile out of Nico. 

Nico shoved his hands into the pockets of the hoodie he wore. “Yeah, well she was a good cook,” he said in an effort to soften the comparison. 

“Italian mothers always are,” Max said. “It’s good for me to have something to strive for.” 

“How do you know I’m Italian?” asked Nico. He stared at Max, his expression serious.

“Really?” Max chuckled. “Your name is Nico, you look Italian, you fetch food for your relatives from an authentic Italian joint…” he trails off before “and I think you work for the mob,” knowing that wouldn’t get them anywhere. 

Nico rolled his eyes. “I was just messin’ with you,” he said before he gave Max a teasing smirk. 

“Ah ha!” Max said, crossing his arms. “There is some personality in there after all.” 

“Yeah, well you, you are definitely not Italian,” Nico said, deflecting Max’s comment about his personality. 

“Aye,” Max said, letting his accent thicken. “You caught me.” 

“Irish?” Nico guessed.

“Nope,” Max said, “but close.” 

Nico gave him a look as if to say he wasn’t playing Max’s guessing game. “So what’s close to Ireland?” he asked when no more information was forthcoming.

“I’m Welsh,” Max said once it was clear Nico wasn’t going to guess. “But I’ve been in New York since I was…well your age probably.” 

“So you’re from Welshland?” Nico asked instead of asking Max exactly how long he’d been in New York. 

Max laughed. “Welshland?” 

“What?” Nico frowned.

“I’m from Wales. Geography must not be your strong suit.” Max checked his watch, sure they were going to be interrupted any minute now with someone bitching that his break was over, but he didn’t want to stop talking now that Nico had finally opened up. 

Nico ducked his head, embarrassed by his ignorant guess. Being a high school dropout was not something he was proud to be. “You need to get back,” Nico said, observant of Max checking the time. 

“Not until they come yell at me,” Max smiled. “But it’s much more likely that you need to get back,” he pointed out. “Don’t want to get you in trouble.” 

“I don’t get into trouble,” Nico countered. The solemn expression slowly disappearing again from his face. “Well, maybe sometimes.” 

Max didn’t point out that he’d seen what was likely the result of Nico’s “troubles.” Get back in there,” Max said, shooing him toward the door. “And if you get back on schedule there will be artichokes for you next time.” 

“Artichokes are trouble,” Nico said as he stepped back inside the kitchen. “I know, I used to clean them for my mom.” 

“Luckily I have prep cooks for that part of things,” Max smiled. “Makes life so much easier.” 

“So you’re head cook then?” asked Nico as he made his way around to his usual side of the work station. 

“No I’m still just a line cook. But maybe someday,” he said, even though there wasn’t a lot of hope in his voice. 

Nico nodded as he stared at Max. He recognized the emotion in the other man, the hope for more despite his current situation. 

Max shook his head when he found Nico’s order all stacked up but no bag. “See what happens when I’m not working?”

Nico gave Max another small smile in agreement. 

Max bagged up the boxes and then handed them over. “See you next time,” he said, finding himself hoping that there would continue to be next times. 

“Next time,” Nico echoed as he took the bag then left the restaurant.

Max watched him go, wondering as always where he was off to.

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Nico brushed his hair down over his swollen eye before he went into the restaurant. He didn’t want Max to see him with another black eye, but he knew it was unavoidable with the shiner his uncle gave him that morning. He didn’t know why he cared if Max saw it or not, but it seemed like he would disappoint the friendly cook and that was something he knew he didn’t want to do. Nico needed to brush up on his ducking skills since he had been unable to avoid his uncle’s fist.

He angled his head as he approached the kitchen and immediately busied himself with boxes of food waiting for him at the station.

Max came out of the cooler, his arms filled to the brim with supplies he needed to restock his station. He smiled when he saw Nico, but he froze in his tracks when he saw the dark bruise that he was trying hard to hide. 

Nico’s hand went to his eye when he saws Max’s reaction. “What? I don’t get a bag today?” he said jokingly, his tone as soft as usual.

“Absolutely,” Max said, springing back into motion. “One bag coming right up.” He laid his load out on the counter at his station and grabbed a bag out of the stash he’d started keeping down below.

“Thanks,” Nico whispered as he took the bag from Max. He kept his head bent and his eyes lowered as he began to put the boxes of food into it.

“You know,” Max said softly, putting away his own prep items so they didn’t have to look at each other, “I could manage to ignore the first black eye and pretend it was probably an accident, but that’s a little harder to do with the second one.” 

Nico looked up at Max. He tried to look nonchalant even though Max was not looking back at him. “Accidents do happen,” Nico replied, his excuse sounding as flimsy as it was. 

“I used to get a lot of black eyes when I was your age,” Max said, squatting down to restock the shelves below his station. “They weren’t accidents.” 

The bag that Nico was loading went still as he continued to stare at Max. It was easier somehow, talking to the older man without having to face him. “What were they?” Nico asked, so softly it was barely audible over the usual clamor in the kitchen. 

“Reminders.” Max found himself saying the word in his father’s accent and tone of voice. 

Nico stood stone still for a long moment then a loud noise in the kitchen startled him back into action. He hurried to finish packing all the food boxes. 

Max stood up once Nico started to move. He hesitated just for a moment, but he remembered what it was like to be in Nico’s shoes and feel so alone. “I get off at eleven,” he said, not making eye contact. “If you need someone to talk to.” 

Nico nodded, his expression apologetic. He picked up the bag of food, pausing as if he was going to say something, then turned to leave. 

Max watched him go, worried about what the young man might find waiting for him wherever he was headed. 

The clock seemed to crawl all evening long despite the fact that business was steady. When the night cleaning crew finally showed up he sighed in relief. He wiped everything down and made sure his station was ready for the lunch shift before shrugging out of his chef coat and grabbing his keys and wallet from his locker. He wasn’t sure if Nico would be there or not, so he went out through the front of the house just in case. 

Nico was outside, waiting on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. He still wasn’t sure it wasn’t a mistake to be there, but he hadn’t been able to put Max’s offer out of his mind all night. His uncle had left the apartment early so there was no one there to see him leave. Getting back in without being seen might pose a different problem, but it wasn’t enough to keep him from being there. 

Max just happened to glance over as he exited the building and saw Nico lurking in the shadows. “Hey, you came,” he said with a wave. 

Stepping closer, Nico nodded as he shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. 

Even though Nico didn’t seem eager to talk, Max took it as a good sign that he’d shown up. “There’s a diner just down a few blocks,” he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. “Do you want to head that way?”

Nico nodded and mumbled, “Sure.” He fell into step beside Max as they walked down the sidewalk toward the diner. Nico glanced at Max as they walked. The other man looked different dressed in a white tee shirt instead of his black chef’s coat. 

“Did you get any of that food you carried out tonight?” Max asked, just to make conversation. 

A soft, bitter huff of laughter was Nico’s response. “No. Not tonight,” he said. Nico never got to eat the food from the expensive restaurants unless he wanted to eat what was leftover on his uncle’s friend’s plates. There was never anything left on his uncle’s plate. 

“How does a nice greasy cheeseburger sound?” Max said. He’d suggested the diner because he’d predicted Nico’s answer. There was no way that rail of a boy ate rich restaurant food on a regular basis. 

“It sounds good. You buyin’?” Nico asked. 

Max laughed. “Yes. My treat.” 

“Do you get to eat the food you make?” Nico questioned.

“Not exactly.” Max pulled on his jacket, the cool spring air having finally taken the heat of the kitchen off him. “We have a staff meal between lunch and dinner service. So we eat, but not just the stuff off the menu. We’d get bored with that pretty quickly.” 

“Yeah, you don’t look like you eat a lot of pasta,” Nico commented, looking at Max out of the corner of his eye. Max was tall and lean, but the muscles in his arms were well-defined. None of the men who ate the food he delivered were shaped like Max.

Max kept his eyes straight ahead but he could feel Nico looking at him. “Kitchen work is hard work,” he said, pulling open the door to the diner. “So I’m lucky that I can eat pretty much whatever I want and I’ll work it right off.” 

Nico followed Max inside. They were seated at a booth near the back. Nico slid into the seat that faced the door, an old habit he’d picked up from the company he kept. He looked over the laminated menu then looked at Max. “Can I have fries, too?”

“You can. Milkshake too if that floats your boat.” Max knew it was probably the biggest meal Nico would have all week so who was he to deny him what he wanted? He didn’t make an extravagant wage at the restaurant by any means, but then again he didn’t live an extravagant lifestyle. One meal for Nico at the diner wasn’t going to break the bank. 

“No. Thanks. I don’t like milk,” Nico said. “Just water to drink,” he added as he put the menu back into its place behind the napkin holder. 

“You don’t like milk?” Max asked incredulously. “I don’t think I’ve ever met someone that didn’t like dairy. Cheese? Ice Cream? Alfredo?”

Nico arched an eyebrow and sort of smiled. “Cheese is okay.” 

“Okay?” Max asked, shaking his head. “I might have to rethink buying you dinner.” 

Nico look startled. “Really?” he asked.

Max had forgotten that he was likely dealing with someone who was used to having things like that cruelly jerked away from him like that and he gave himself a stern mental reminder not to do it again. “No, I was teasing. I shouldn’t have though. You can have whatever you’d like.” 

Visibly relieved, Nico looked at Max, the same slight smile at the corner of his mouth. “I’ll get cheese on the burger if it makes you feel better.”

“Only if you want.” Max flagged down the waitress and put in his order, letting Nico order for himself. 

After the waitress left to get their drinks, Nico slipped out of his jacket and laid it on the seat next to him in the booth. The lightweight henley he wore was a faded sage green color and there were small stains near the shoulder that looked like dried drops of blood. 

Max let him sit there for a few moments in silence, waiting to see if Nico would start talking, but he seemed pretty content to sit there with his mouth shut. “So are you going to tell me about your eye?” Max asked finally. 

Nico’s hand went to hair immediately in another attempt to cover the swollen eye. He kept his gaze on the table as he spoke. “You said you used to get a lot when you were my age,” Nico replied. 

“I did. My dad used to beat the shit out of me,” Max said matter of factly. “For things I did wrong, for things I did right, because it rained that day, you name it.” 

“And did you tell someone about it?” Nico asked quietly, still keeping his eyes on the table between them.

Max shook his head. “I didn’t have anyone to tell.” 

“What happened? With your dad?” Nico looked up at Max before looking away again.

“I moved to New York. No idea what happened to him. Part of me hopes that he eventually changed his ways,” Max said, leaning back as his Pepsi and Nico’s water arrived. “But the more likely scenario is that he’s drank himself to death by now.” 

Nico reached for his water. “I’d like to do that. Leave. But it’s not that easy.”

“What’s stopping you?” Max asked, hoping the direct approach would work.

“I’m seventeen. If I leave, my uncle can report me as a runaway,” Nico replied. 

Max nodded, sipping his drink. “And you live with your uncle?” he asked, working on putting things together. 

Nico nodded. “My mom died when I was thirteen and he’s the only family left.” 

“And did he give you the shiner?” Max asked, unsure whether he’d get an answer. 

Nico sat silent for a moment, but eventually he nodded again. “He… he doesn’t like me very much.”

Max nodded back. “When do you turn eighteen?”

“In October.” Nico didn’t mention that it didn’t matter, he wouldn’t have any money or a way of leaving in October either.

October was a long way off. “Is it escalating?” Max asked softly. 

“What do you mean? asked Nico.

Max tilted his head and tried to figure out if Nico was deflecting or just didn’t understand what he’d asked. “His anger. Is it getting worse?” 

“I guess so. He’s always had a bad temper.” Nico shifted in his seat, looking away as if he was uncomfortable with the subject. “Look. You know what they are, the guys I get the food for?”

“I have a pretty good idea,” Max said, sitting back against the booth. “But it’s not like anyone comes right out and says it.” 

“Then you know what kinds of things they do,” Nico continued. “It hasn’t been going so great for my uncle lately. So he’s more keyed up than usual. See what I mean?”

Max nodded. “And when he’s keyed up he needs an outlet.” 

“If I don’t stay out of his way, he remembers why he doesn’t like me, and…” Nico gestured toward his eye.

The waitress dumps their plates onto the table without a word. “Service here is terrible but you can’t beat the food,” Max said, breaking the tension. 

Nico grabbed a stray fry that fell off his plate when the waitress dropped it in front of him. He popped it into his mouth and chewed. 

“So do you go to school?” Max asked as he dressed his burger with ketchup and mustard. 

“No,” Nico answered before eating another fry. 

Max waited for him to explain but he was met with silence. “By choice?” He bit into his burger, chewing while he waited for a response. 

Nico finished chewing and turned his attention to his cheeseburger. He lifted the top bun and took off the tomatoes and onion before he replaced it. “I didn’t mind not going back this year,” he said finally.

Max let that go, wondering what the whole story was. He let the boy eat, knowing that peppering him with questions would just increase the chances that he’d shut down completely. 

They ate in silence. NIco watched Max as he ate, but averted his eyes when the other man would look directly at him. With his burger and fries half eaten, he leaned back in his seat as if to take a break. 

“Good?” Max asked, unable to bear the silence any longer. 

Nico nodded then seemed to remember his manners. “Yes. Thank you,” he said.

“So where do you live? With your uncle?” Max carefully kept his focus on his plate, not putting Nico on the spot. 

“Yeah. Yes.” Nico shifted in his seat and looked around the diner. “Can I ask you something?” he said without looking at Max.

Max nodded. “Sure.” He wiped his hands on his napkin and set it aside. 

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Nico asked as he turned his gaze toward Max. 

Max thought about how to say what he felt. “You seemed like you needed a friend. Or at least a friendly face.” 

Nico searched Max’s face. “So it’s not about who I run errands for?” 

Max recoiled. “What? No,” he said, shaking his head. 

Nico didn’t say anything, he just frowned and looked away again as he picked up another french fry and slowly brought it to his mouth. 

“I’m serious,” Max said. “I don’t even know who your uncle is. I mean I can make some educated assumptions but that’s about it.” 

“Okay. I didn’t mean to be… ungrateful or whatever. It’s just I’ve had guys do that before, you know?” Nico explained, his frown deepening. 

“Take advantage of you?” Max filled in. “To try and get to them?”

“Something like that. There’s a lot of users out there. Sometimes you can’t tell the difference,” Nico replied.

“Well I could care less about who your uncle is. I think he’s a dick for knocking you around though,” Max said, tapping his finger on the table for emphasis. 

NIco nodded in full agreement. “It’s not as bad as it looks though,” he offered, gesturing toward his eye again. 

“Uh huh,” Max said, not believing a word of it. “And will you get a matching one if he catches you sneaking back in tonight?”

Max’s question hit a nerve. Nico’s head jerked up as he looked straight at him. “I should get going,” he said. 

“Let me get you a cab,” Max said, digging out his wallet to pay the check. “I don’t want something happening to you on account of me on your way home.” 

Nico shook his head. “Don’t bother. It’s less than a block,” he told Max. Nico thought of something; it brought a smile to his lips. “You know I couldn’t carry all that food you make if it was too far.”

“I hadn’t thought about that,” Max laughed. “Not so bright sometimes.” 

“But you’re nice,” Nico offered.

“We can’t have it all,” Max smiled. He laid enough cash on the table to cover the bill and tip and then put his wallet away. His hand brushed his phone and he pulled it out. “Do you have a cell phone?”

Nico nodded then reached into his jacket pocket to pull it out. 

Max handed his phone across the table. “Put your number in.” 

Nico hesitated. “You probably shouldn’t call me,” he said quietly.

“I won’t. But I’m going to give you my number and I want it to come up as you if you call.” He didn’t say that he’d know to answer immediately but Nico probably understood. 

Nico took Max’s phone and put in his cell number then handed both the phones back to Max. 

Max put his in but then handed it back to Nico without a name attached. “You save it how you want. I don’t want to get you in trouble if someone is looking at your phone.” 

Entering only an “M”, Nico saved the information then put his phone away. “Thanks for the burger. It was good,” he said as he started to slide out of the booth. “Not as good as your artichokes,” he added with a slight smile.

“Well yeah,” Max grinned. “I have to leave some reason for you to keep coming in to see me.” 

Nico’s expression turned bashful as he got to his feet. “Hey… thanks again. For the talk and stuff.”

“Any time,” Max said. He worried about Nico but he also knew there really wasn’t anything he could do except be there for him. “Be safe.”  
Nico nodded again then he was gone. 

Max sat in the booth for a long time, just thinking about Nico and how much he reminded him of all the things he’d tried to put behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

Nico ducked into the doorway of the restaurant and pulled on the door to find it locked. He looked up as if in a daze and turned around. The street was quiet with not many people around. Nico pulled out his phone and saw that it was after midnight. He’d lost track of the time. 

He was already breathing hard from the run from his uncle’s apartment, but now that he was at the restaurant and alone, Nico’s breaths started coming quicker. His heart was pounding and he was genuinely afraid with no one to turn to and nowhere to go. 

Nico scrolled through his phone and pressed the button. He couldn’t think about what he would do next if his call was not answered. 

Max had just stepped out the shower when he heard his phone buzzing on the counter. Showering was always the first thing he did when he got home from work, even though he usually went straight to bed. He checked the display and his pulse raced when he saw the number. “Nico?” he said after hitting the button. 

“Yeah…” Nico answered in a breathless stutter. “You said call you… if I needed…” 

“I did,” Max confirmed, grabbing a towel. “Is everything ok?” He could hear the panic in Nico’s voice so he was afraid of the answer. 

Nico looked down the sidewalk to see if anyone was following him then moved back into the shadows. “No. It is so far from okay,” he replied. 

“What do you need? Where are you?” Max stopped short, realizing he was probably overwhelming Nico with the questions. 

“At the restaurant. I came to find you, but it’s closed.” Nico pressed his back against the door and slowly slid down into a crouched position. His hands were shaking so badly he was afraid he would drop the phone. “I need help,” he whispered raggedly.

“Do you need me to come to you or can you get to me?” Max asked, walking into the bedroom to try and find some clothes he could pull on with one hand. 

Nico didn’t answer at first, his frightened mind struggling to think logically. “I shouldn’t stay here. I’ll come to you. Where do you live?”

Max checked to be sure Nico had GPS on his phone and then gave him the address. “You are less than ten minutes away. If you get delayed call me or I’ll assume something happened to you and call the police, okay?”

“No!” Nico said quickly. “Do not call the police. I… I’m on my way,” he said as he began to jog down the sidewalk in the direction that Max had given him. 

“See you in a few. I’ll be downstairs to let you in,” Max said before disconnecting the call. He finished getting dressed and then headed for the door, worried about the state in which he might find Nico. 

Nico ran the entire way. He arrived at Max’s building to find him waiting for him on the stoop. He was so breathless he couldn’t speak at first. Nico bent over, his hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. 

The sight of Nico bloody and breathless hit Max like a ton of bricks. He held open the door and pulled Nico in, checking carefully for anyone behind him before making sure the foyer door shut completely. He made Nico move around the corner, out of sight of the street but didn’t make him tackle the stairs just yet. 

Grabbing Max’s arm, Nico held on tight as he tried to get his breathing under control. He looked at Max as if he needed to say something, but he couldn’t speak. He kept his grip on Max as he began to tremble, the events of the night and the shock finally catching up to the young man who felt like he’d been running all night. 

Just as Max reached up to touch Nico’s face and see where the blood was coming from, he saw him start to shake and he grabbed ahold of him before he could fall. “Are you hurt?” he asked, needing to get that taken care of first thing. 

Nico shook his head, clinging to Max like a lifeline. 

Max sighed with relief and pulled Nico into his arms. He hoped it wasn’t too intimate of an act for someone he didn’t know all that well, but he didn’t know what else to do. 

Nico went with the embrace, pressing his face into Max’s shoulder as he held him.

“When you are ready,” Max said softly, “we can go upstairs.” He didn’t want to rush Nico, but he thought he might be more comfortable in private. 

Staying close for a few minutes more, Nico finally nodded and took a step back and let go of Max. 

“Third floor up,” Max said, gesturing toward the stairs. He let Nico lead the way, wanting to stay behind him in case he was still unsteady on his feet. 

Nico climbed the stairs slowly. His adrenalin rush was gone and he suddenly felt exhausted. He stopped on the third floor, hesitating at the top of the stairs until Max led him to his apartment.

Max unlocked the door and ushered Nico through the door. He looked around with fresh eyes, seeing it as someone new might. The apartment was clean but sparsely furnished. He didn’t spend much time here so there’d never been a reason to move beyond the basics. 

“I didn’t know where to go,” Nico said, finally breaking his silence. 

“I told you to call if you needed me. You did the right thing.” Max guided Nico to the couch and left him there why he ran a washcloth under some warm water. 

“It’s late. I didn’t think about the restaurant being closed,” Nico said when Max returned. 

Max took a seat next to him and started to clean the blood from Nico’s cheek. It seemed to be coming from a superficial cut above his eye and he was relieved it was nothing serious. “You did the right thing,” he repeated. 

Nico noticed the blood on the washcloth in Max’s hand and lifted his own hand to his cheek. “I scraped in on the fire escape,” he murmured. 

“What were you doing on the fire escape?” Max figured he’d start with specific questions that might be easier to answer.

“It was the only way out so they wouldn’t see me,” Nico explained. “If I tried to get out through the front, they would have caught me,” he continued as he started breathing hard again. “They’re gonna kill me when they find out I was there.” 

Max assessed Nico’s wound and determined it definitely didn’t need stitches. “Where’s there?” He wandered into the bathroom to grab a bandaid, but the apartment was so small he could easily hear Nico. 

“The apartment. My uncle’s…” Nico looked up at Max as he returned from the bathroom. “They killed him,” he rasped, as if too frightened to say it too loudly. 

Max froze in his tracks. “And you saw it?” His mind was spinning with the implications.  
Nico could only nod in response, his dark brown eyes wide with fear.

“But they didn’t see you?” Max confirmed.

“I don’t think so. I don’t think they knew I was there.” Nico shook his head helplessly. “They came in so fast. It all happened so fast.”

Max returned to the couch and worked on getting the bandage on Nico’s cut. “Was it people you know? Or recognize?”

“Yeah… sure.” Nico winced, feeling the cut on his face for the first time. 

“So there’s a good chance they’d figure out that you were probably there?” Max didn’t really want to point that out, but he needed to know the whole situation. 

Nico nodded, following Max’s thinking. 

“You can’t go back there,” Max said softly. He didn’t know what that meant for Nico or for him, but he knew it was true. 

Nico nodded again. He looked at Max, frowning with regret. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come here. I just didn’t know what to do. I panicked,” he said. “And I can’t call the cops. There’s too many of them who’re dirty. They’d take me back to them and I’ll be dead for sure.” 

“You did the right thing,” Max said, waiting for Nico to look up at him and then repeating it again. 

“You know what they are. What they do,” Nico said softly. 

Max nodded. “Which means they’d have no qualms coming after you next.” He wanted to ask Nico what his uncle had done, but that was a question for another time. 

“Another reason why I shouldn’t be here,” Nico said as he started to get up from the couch. 

Max reached out and pressed down on Nico’s shoulder, keeping him from going anywhere. “And where exactly would you go?”

Nico’s mind raced with questions, his uncertainty evident in his expression. “I don’t know,” he admitted. 

“You are in no state to be making any kind of decisions,” Max said firmly. “You are staying here tonight.” _If not longer._

“I don’t think anyone saw me,” Nico said. “But I don’t want cause you trouble.”

Max smiled. “Letting you sleep on my couch is no trouble. I know enough about you to know you were careful coming here, and there’s no way they’d know to look for you here. You need to get some rest, I don’t know that I’d even be functioning if I’d been through what you have tonight.” 

“Not so sure I am functioning,” Nico said sheepishly. “Are you sure you want me to stay here?”

“I don’t want you out on the streets, that’s for damn sure,” Max said firmly. “I obviously can’t keep you here against your will, but I’d like you to consider staying.” 

Nico didn’t know or understand why Max was so being so kind to him, he was just very grateful that the other man was willing to help him. He didn’t have any other family, no friends to speak of and no other safe place to hide until he could figure out what he was going to do. 

“I’ll stay,” Nico told him. “Thanks, Max,” he added softly.

“You’re welcome,” Max said. He knew he was so keyed up that he wasn’t likely to sleep, but he hoped Nico might get some rest. “I’m glad we had dinner the other night so you had someone to call.” 

Nico nodded his agreement. That night seemed like ages ago, so much had happened since then. When they’d exchanged numbers that night, Nico never thought he would end up calling Max for help only a few days later. 

“You obviously didn’t have time to grab anything when you left. You have your phone, but did you at least get out of there with your wallet?” Max hoped there was no reason Nico would have to go back to the apartment. Clothes were easily replaceable, documents weren’t. 

“Yeah,” Nico replied as he patted the pocket in his jeans. “I don’t have much money though.”

“Luckily for you Hotel Max doesn’t charge much,” Max teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Nico gave him a slight smile, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. There was only sadness and worry there. 

“It’s going to be ok,” Max said softly, reaching out to touch Nico’s arm. 

“Okay,” Nico echoed, nodding his head slightly. 

Max leaned back against the couch and wound his arm around Nico’s shoulders, pulling him over so Nico could rest his head on his shoulder. “It’s going to be ok,” he said again softly, hoping he could wish it into being. 

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Max sat on the fire escape, his third cigarette in a row dangling from his fingers. Nico was finally asleep on the couch but he hadn’t been able to rest. He wasn’t exactly worried about someone showing up at his door, the rational part of him knew there no chance of that, not this soon, but his mind churned with what to do next.

Nico couldn’t stay on his couch forever. Max didn’t mind him there, but he’d have to leave the apartment eventually and Max didn’t want to think about the danger that would put him in. And the thought of going back to the restaurant turned his stomach. Would some new kid show up for the food pick ups like nothing had happened? 

Max wondered if this was the universe’s way of forcing him into a decision. He’d toyed with the idea of leaving and getting a fresh start so many times but fear and frankly laziness, or rather the comfort of a regular routine, had kept him here. Maybe he should take the hint. 

Stubbing out the end of his cigarette he ducked back through the window and checked the lock twice once he was inside. He stretched out on his bed even though he knew sleep wouldn’t find him. 

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Nico rolled over, coming awake with a start before he remembered where he was and why he was on a couch in Max’s apartment. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. The image of his uncle’s murder kept replaying in his mind. Nico knew he would never forget it for as long as he lived. 

That was something else he was worried about - just how long would he live if his uncle’s associates figured out he was in the apartment when his uncle was murdered? Nico wished he had never looked through that cracked door, spying on his uncle and his friends when their voices from the other room had become loud. He had peered through just in time to witness his uncle’s throat being slit. Nico had recoiled in shock then escaped in fear. 

He looked around Max’s small apartment. There were only a few pieces of furniture, a table and a television. No personal items and nothing that gave any insight to the resident. 

Nico needed to use the bathroom, but he couldn’t remember if Max had told him where it was and he didn’t want to disturb the other man if he was sleeping. He got up from the couch and looked around a wall, but no bathroom, just a short hall which led to one door. It had to be Max’s room and the bathroom must be there. Nico rapped lightly on the door. 

Max jumped, startled out of his thoughts by the soft tap. “Nico?” he called out, shaking his head at his own stupidity. If it wasn’t Nico, then they wouldn’t be knocking politely. 

“Yeah. Sorry. I need to use the bathroom,” Nico explained through the door. 

“Of course,” Max said, sitting up. “Come in.” Daylight was filtering through his curtains but he had no idea what time it might be. 

Nico turned the knob and pushed open the door. He gave Max an apologetic look as he entered the bedroom, immediately looking around for the bathroom. “Sorry,” Nico murmured again as he took a step toward what he assumed was the door to the bathroom. 

“I was awake,” Max said, “don’t worry about it.” He pointed to the door when he saw Nico’s uncertainty. 

Nico hurried into the bathroom. He was washing his hands when he looked up to see his reflection in the mirror. The bandage on his cheek reminded him of his escape through the window and down the fire escape. His gaze caught sight of the blood drops on the front of his tee shirt. All his clothes were back at his uncle’s apartment. He dried his hand and opened the bathroom door to see Max sitting on the side of his bed. 

“Sorry I woke you up,” Nico said. 

“I was awake,” Max promised. “I haven’t really slept,” he admitted. “Were you able to get some rest?”

“Some. Thanks for letting me crash on your couch.” Nico stood there for a moment; he had no idea what he needed to do. 

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking though,” Max said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. 

Nico’s stomach twisted with nervousness; he was uncertain about his situation and even more unsure about what Max would think about everything that had happened last night. 

“You can’t stay here,” Max said. He saw the panic in Nico’s eyes and he had to rewind in his head to figure out what had caused it. “Oh, no not like that,” Max said. “I’m not kicking you out. I just mean you can’t stay _here_ he said with a wave of his hand. “In New York.” 

“But… I can’t go anywhere. I mean, how would I?” Nico asked, obviously bewildered.

“I think I have a plan. Still some calls to make and figuring to do, but if you’ll trust me for a day or so I’ll get something worked out.” 

Nico stared at Max, his expression a mixture of fear and hope. “Trust you. You’re like the only one I _can_ trust.”   
Max nodded. “I appreciate that. I know you don’t even really know me. But I want to do what I can to get you somewhere safe.” 

“Out of New York,” Nico said. “I think I have twenty dollars. That’s it. And no clothes. Or shoes. Everything is back at the apartment. I guess I could go back, but what if someone is watching?” 

“No,” Max said sharply. When he realized how harsh his tone was he exhaled and sat up, rubbing his hands against his thighs. “No,” he said, more evenly this time. “You aren’t going back there. If they aren’t still watching the place there’s a good chance the police are so I think it’s best just to stay away.” 

“Awww man… I can’t believe this is happening.” Nico turned away, the frustration of his situation suddenly overwhelming him. 

“Hey,” Max said, standing up and laying his hand on Nico’s shoulder. “This is a lot to deal with. I get it.” 

The gentle touch on his shoulder was reassuring and Nico didn’t feel quite as alone. “Thanks for helping me,” he said quietly.

“You’re welcome,” Max whispered back. He squeezed Nico’s shoulder, massaging it for a second. “Why don’t you take a shower, and get out of those dirty clothes. You’ll feel better.” 

Nico nodded in agreement. He did want to change clothes; he wanted to be free of the blood and grime of last night’s events. 

“I’ll lay some clean clothes out for you. I need to make some phone calls so take your time. Use whatever you need.” Luckily the person he needed to speak to was an early riser so it should be just about time to make that call. 

“Okay,” Nico replied. He stared at Max for just a moment more, but he didn’t say anything, he just disappeared back into the bathroom. 

Max dug through his closet, looking for the smallest t-shirt and pair of sweatpants he owned. They’d still swim on Nico but it would have to do for now. With that set he closed the bedroom door and sat down at the tiny kitchen table and dug out his phone. 

Nico stayed under the hot shower until he couldn’t stand it any longer. His skin was pink and tingly from the heat. He toweled off, feeling a bit dazed and lethargic. The lack of sleep and adrenaline-filled events from last night were catching up to him. Nico wrapped the towel around his waist then picked up his dirty clothes before returning to the bedroom.

The bedroom was empty, but Nico saw the clothes that Max had laid out on the bed for him. He dressed then took his towel back to the bathroom before he left to go in search of his host. Nico walked into the kitchen to find Max on the phone. 

Max looked up and smiled when he saw Nico looking much more refreshed than he had just a few minutes before. He wrapped up his conversation, jotting down a few more notes before he hung up. “Well I think I have good news.” 

“Yeah?” Nico said hopefully. He was desperately in need of good news.

“How do you feel about Florida?” Max said with a smile. 

Nico opened then closed his mouth as he looked at Max, his dark eyes wide with a questioning stare. “Florida?” 

“You know, other end of the coast. Old people and sunshine. Florida,” Max said. 

“Well yeah. Okay. Florida. I don’t know. I’ve never been,” Nico replied.

“Have you ever left New York?” Max was pretty sure he knew the answer, just from the little he knew about Nico. 

“Does a trip across the bridge to Jersey count?” asked Nico.

Max laughed. “No. Definitely not.” He gestured for Nico to sit across from him at the table. “My grandmother has a condo in Florida. She lives down there in the winter, but she’s just come back to the city. She thinks it is too hot down there in the summer.” 

Nico slid into a chair as he listened to Max. 

“So it is just sitting down there empty. And I thought maybe we could hole up there until things died down around here.” 

“How do we get there?” Nico asked, encouraged by Max’s idea. 

“I have a car,” Max said. “It’s a beater, but she should get us down there safely.” 

Selfishly, Nico liked the idea of getting away from New York as soon as possible, but then he remembered that Max had obligations. “What about your job at the restaurant?”

“I wasn’t happy there,” Max said softly, not wanting to get into his own issues. Nico had enough on his plate without having to listen to him whine. “So I think you aren’t the only one who could use a fresh start.”   
Nico didn’t understand why Max, who was practically a stranger, would do so much for him, but for the first time since seeing his uncle brutally murdered, he had hope. 

“You really want to take me to Florida?” Nico asked.

“I want to take you somewhere safe. Florida just happens to be what I have available to me at the moment.” Max wasn’t at all sure Nico would agree. After all he was still a relative stranger to him. 

“Okay,” Nico said. 

“Okay meaning… you’ll go?” Max didn’t want their to be any confusion. 

“Yeah. I’ll go,” Nico nodded. “When do we leave?”

“I need some time to do a few things,” Max said. “Pick up my check, hit the bank, gas up the car. Is there anything you absolutely need to do before we leave the city? I don’t want you out there any more than necessary.” 

“No. Everything I have is at the apartment,” Nico replied.

Max nodded. “Do you need me to pick up anything while I’m out? We can shop for new clothes and stuff when we get there, but it there anything you need immediately?

Nico thought for a moment then shook his head again. “No, nothing I can think of.”

Max nodded again. His adrenaline spell of just getting stuff done was starting to wane but he knew he just had to keep going. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he promised. “Don’t let anyone in, okay?”

“I won’t,” Nico promised. “What should I do while you’re gone?” 

Pausing, Max took a moment to really think about it. “I...I don’t know,” he said, chuckling at the absurdity of it all. “I guess just stay put and try not to worry.” 

“I can pack stuff,” Nico offered. 

“Good thinking.” Max went and grabbed his gym bag out of the closet. “I don’t really have a suitcase, so pack light,” he said, leaving it on the bed. 

“Okay,” Nico replied. He grabbed Max’s arm as he turned to leave. “You be careful, too. At the restaurant. Just in case.”

“I will,” Max promised. He stayed still for a moment, just staring into Nico’s eyes but then the moment broke and he looked away. “I’ll be back soon.” 

Nico picked up the gym bad and began opening drawers to fill it with the clothes that Max would need. He came across a sweatshirt and hesitated. Florida. Max wouldn’t need that where they were going so he left it and moved on.

Max ran his errands as quickly as he could without arousing any suspicions by acting oddly. He couldn’t help his newly acquired habit of constantly looking behind him to be sure he wasn’t being followed, even though he knew that was incredibly unlikely. 

Nico heard someone at the door and waited in the bedroom until he heard Max’s voice. He went into the living room. “Everything okay?” he asked.

“It is. All packed?” Max asked, seeing the stuffed duffle bag on the couch. 

“As much as I can fit in there,” Nico replied. 

“I’d believe it by the looks of it,” Max teased. “Toothbrush?” 

“I did pack some of that stuff, there was a small case under the sink.” Nico said with a nod. 

“Perfect. Anything we’re missing we can pick up when we get there.” Max made a quick tour of the apartment, unplugging things and checking to be sure the windows were all locked. “Ready?” he asked when he was sure things were secure.

“Ready,” Nico said as he moved to pick up a plastic grocery bag that had his dirty shirt in it. He’d changed back into his jeans and kept the clean shirt that Max had given him earlier. 

Max locked the door behind them and lead Nico to the elevator that went down to the parking below the building. “You don’t get carsick or anything?” he asked as he popped open the trunk and tossed their things in. “I guess I should have asked that before.” 

“I don’t think so,” Nico answered honestly. “But I’ll let you know if I do.”

Nico was a quiet companion. He usually didn’t talk unless spoken to and then his replies were succinct. He spent most of the time looking out the passenger seat window. Nico had never learned to drive and he didn’t have his license so the driving was left to Max. Not having traveled, he was fascinated as the scenery changed before him. The rolling green hills and farms were his favorite since he’d never had the opportunity to see many cows and horses in New York City. 

Sometimes, he watched Max as he drove, but Nico always looked away when Max looked back at him. Nico still wasn’t sure why Max was willing to help him, but whatever his reason, he was grateful. The fear and apprehension he’d felt eased with every mile they put between themselves and New York. 

It was after dark when Max left the interstate. He told Nico he needed to stop for the night as he made the turn into the parking lot of a small motel. 

“Where are we?” Nico asked. He’d lost track of the last state line they had crossed.

“Close to the border between North and South Carolina,” Max said, groaning as he stretched out his muscles after climbing out of the car. “Probably about halfway there.” 

Nico got out of the car and walked around to the driver’s side. He leaned against the bumper as he looked at Max. “Are we gonna stay here tonight?” he asked as he looked in the direction of the office.

“Is that ok?” Max asked. “I just need to get a couple hours of sleep. I don’t want to nod off and crash.” 

“Sure,” Nico replied. 

“Why don’t you wait here while I check in. Don’t want any unnecessary questions.” Max dug out his wallet and pointed at the lobby. “I’ll be right back.” 

“Okay.” Nico watched Max until he disappeared into the office. He wondered about the unnecessary questions, but he trusted Max to handle it if there were any. Nico got back into the car to wait for Max.

Max got everything set and then returned to the car to collect their bags and Nico. “The clerk said there was a Waffle House just a few blocks up so we can grab breakfast in the morning when we are ready to get on the road.” 

“So we’ll get there tomorrow?” Nico asked as Max unlocked the door to their motel room and pushed it open. 

“Barring any major traffic issues we should.” Max’s entire body ached with exhaustion, the sleepless night followed by a day of driving having worn him down completely. “While we are in Florida I’ll have to teach you to drive.” 

“Really?” Nico asked brightly. “Awesome.” He took off his hoodie and sat on the edge of one of the twin beds. 

“You’ll blend right in with all the bad drivers down there,” Max laughed. “I want to grab a shower,” he said, pointing at the bathroom. “Do you need in there first?”

“No, go ahead. Mind if I watch TV?” Nico pointed at the old set on a table in the corner of the room. 

“Make yourself at home,” Max said. “I won’t hog all the hot water,” he promised. 

Nico turned on the old television and changed channels. Cable was obviously not on offer at the motel as he switched between a game show, an evangelist warning of hell’s fire and a rerun of Gilligan’s Island. Nico settled on the game show. 

Max lingered in the shower, letting the hot water work out the stress and kinks in his shoulders. He hadn’t bothered to unpack his things so he made do with the tiny sliver of hotel soap but it was fine for just getting him clean. The towels were scratchy and not very absorbent but he left one around his waist when he went back out to get something clean to sleep in. “All yours,” he said to Nico as he dug through his bag. “Unless you are a morning showerer. 

“I’ll take a shower tonight, but…” Nico turned his head, hesitating when he saw Max dressed in only a towel. 

Max found what he was looking for in his bag and stood back up. “But what?” he asked, tugging a clean t shirt down over his head. 

“Uh… I don’t have any clean clothes,” Nico reminded. 

“Oh, yeah,” Max said, his tired brain realizing that was obvious. “Did you pack anything in here that will work?” 

“I left the sweats, didn’t think you’d need those in Florida.” Nico turned off the television. “Maybe we could stop at a store tomorrow and I can buy some tee shirts and underwear. And a toothbrush.” 

Max shook his head. “I really didn’t think this through well enough, did I.” 

“Neither did I,” admitted Nico. “I just wanted to leave, you know?” 

“Same here.” You jump in the shower and I’ll run out and see what I can pick up. There has to be a Walmart or something like that around here.” 

“That’s okay. I’m fine for tonight. Let’s just stop somewhere tomorrow,” Nico told him. “Really,” he added when Max seemed uncertain.

“Okay,” Max said reluctantly. “At least let me check with the front desk about a toothbrush.” 

“If you think they’ll have one?” Nico said as he got to his feet. 

“It’s worth the walk down there to check.” Max scooted out of the way so Nico could pass by. “The temperature knob is a little finicky. Make sure you check it before you get in.” 

“Okay, thanks,” Nico replied before he went into the bathroom. 

Max slipped his jeans back on and made a quick trip to the lobby and found the night manager actually had little toiletries packets. It was a flimsy plastic toothbrush but it would get Nico through the next day. Back in the room he slid it under the bathroom door and then disrobed and crawled into bed. He turned off the light so Nico would have some privacy when he came out of the bathroom. 

Nico found the packet when he got out of the shower and smiled, happy to have a toothbrush. He dried his hair and brushed his teeth. He was reluctant to put the dirty clothes back on, but he didn’t have a choice. Nico thought it would be okay to sleep in the tee shirt and underwear. 

It was dark when he opened the door and he paused to let his eyes adjust before he made his way to his bed and slipped beneath the covers. They weren’t the softest sheets he’d ever slept on, but at least they smelled nice and the pillow was comfortable. 

“I suppose I should have asked if you snore,” Max said into the darkness. 

“I don’t think I do. Do you?” Nico responded.

“Not that I know of. Sounds like we’re safe.” Max pulled the covers up over his shoulders. “Goodnight,” he said softly. 

“Goodnight,” Nico said. Even though he was tired from their quick getaway, it was a long time before Nico finally fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Nico leaned up in his seat to get a better look at the water when they crossed over the bridge that led to the island. The scenery was beautiful with blue skies, green plants and trees; everything felt new, clean and bright. 

“There’s a lot of boats,” Nico said as he continued to look out at the water. 

“There’s a whole series of canals that run through this island,” Max said, keeping most of his focus on the road, but glancing out at what Nico was looking at. “Kind of like alleys in the city. They run behind the houses and you can drive your boat right up there just like a car to a garage.”

“Is that how they get to the ocean?” Nico asked as he turned his head to look at Max.

Max nodded. “There’s also marinas and stuff where people keep boats if they live in the high rises.” 

“Have you ever been out on the ocean in a boat?” Nico turned in his seat to get a last glimpse of the water as they left the bridge. 

“A few times. Not since I was little. I actually haven’t been down here since I was a teenager,” Max said, craning forward in his seat to watch the street signs. 

“When was that?” Nico asked.

Max was a little confused by the question. “Are you asking how old I am?” He took a right at the light, the intersection looking completely different than how he’d remembered it. 

“Yeah, I guess,” was the teenager’s reply. 

“Old enough to be your father,” he said with a sigh. As the road continued into the older part of town the landmarks got more familiar for him. 

Nico thought for a moment. “So like a young father or an old father?” 

Max took the opportunity of a stop sign to look over at Nico. “How old do you think I am?”

Nico stared at Max then replied. “30?”

Max laughed. “No. I wish. I’m thirty-seven,” he said as he took off from the intersection. 

Doing the math in his head, Nico piped up again. “So the last time you were down here, I wasn’t even born yet.” 

“Ouch,” Max said, clutching his chest. “That hurts.” 

“You shouldn’t joke about that. At your age, they might think you’re having a heart attack for real,” Nico joked, his face bright with an uncharacteristic smile. 

“I just drove your ass from New York to Florida. Don’t make me turn this car around and drive you back.” Max teased back. Reaching the end of the street he eased into the familiar parking lot.   
Nico just laughed at Max’s threat. He looked around when Max slowed and pulled his car into a parking space. “We’re here?” he asked, his voice tinged with excitement. 

“We’re here,” Max said with a sigh of relief. They’d made good time and he was hopeful the office was still open. After their day he didn’t want to have to wait around while he called the after hours number. “Let’s get checked in and then we can go back out for supplies.” 

“Should I go with you or wait here?” Nico asked, remembering what Max had said last night at the motel about unnecessary questions.

“You can come with. Here I’m not as worried about them thinking I’m some sort of child trafficker. They’ve known me since I was in diapers.” 

“Okay,” Nico said as he opened the car door. He looked around the parking lot. They had passed modern sky rise condominiums and million dollar Mediterranean style mansions, but the place where they arrived was only two stories tall and not much bigger than the motel they had stayed in the night before. Nico followed Max through the wooden fence as he walked toward the office. 

“It’s not much,” Max apologized, seeing Nico’s look. “But it’s homey.” 

“There’s a pool!” Nico said, pointing toward the beautiful, bright blue water. 

“And a hot tub,” Max said, laughing at Nico’s abrupt distraction. He entered the office, a blast of air conditioning hitting him in the face and making him realize for the first time just how sticky the evening felt. 

Nico stayed quiet as Max spoke with the woman at the desk. He looked around, taking in everything about his new surroundings.

Max was pleased that his grandmother had in fact called and arranged everything. In just a few moments they were off, heading down to the first floor unit on the far end. The complex was quiet and he assumed that most people were off at dinner. He’d never been here in the summer months but according to his grandmother it was much quieter in general. 

Tagging behind like a chick following a mother hen, Nico’s neck was on a pivot as he looked up at the second floor units then back down at the pool. He almost ran into Max when he stopped in front of him to unlock the door to their unit. 

“I hear music,” Nico said as he looked toward where the sound was coming from behind a tall wooden fence that he couldn’t see over. 

“There’s a restaurant over there. With an outdoor bar. It’s kind of fun to sit in the hottub and listen to the music,” Max said, smiling at the memory. 

Nico turned back toward Max and stopped. “Is that the ocean?” he asked, pointing beyond the deck at the back of the complex. 

“Not exactly.” Max said, unlocking the door as they talked. “I mean this is an island after all, but that direction is toward the mainland so they technically consider that part a river. But it leads right into the ocean as soon as you go around the bend that way,” he said, pointing to the left. 

“Cool. More boats,” he murmured as he followed Max inside. Nico looked around the small apartment. There was a couch and a chair as well as a bar that separated the living area from the open kitchen area and there were chairs at the bar which doubled as a kitchen table. There was a closed door which Nico assumed was the bedroom. “This is nice,” he told Max, admiring the large flat screen television. 

“You can watch the boats from the window in the bedroom too,” Max said gesturing to the door. He laid the keys on the counter and went to the fridge to turn on the ice machine, an old habit he’d picked up from visiting with his family. 

“And your grandmother gets to live here in winter?” Nico asked as he sat down on the couch.

“She owns it so she can live here all the time if she wants. She just prefers to go north in the summers.” Max carried his bag into the bedroom and left it on the foot of the bed. 

“I like it,” Nico said, running his hand over the nap of the couch cushion. 

“Why don’t we run back out before we crash. Grab some supplies, get you something to wear. And a toothbrush,” Max said, remembering the night before.

“Okay. But I don’t have much money,” Nico reminded him. “Like maybe $30.”

“Save it. I brought my whole last paycheck in cash to get us through until we figure things out. Just grab the basics for now.” Max knew what it was like to have not a penny to your name, and he didn’t want to put Nico in that situation when everything else had been ripped out from under him. 

Nico stood up and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “My phone’s dead. I don’t have the cord to charge it,” he said as he laid it on the bar. “My uncle paid the bill so I won’t be able to use it much longer anyway.

Max picked it up and took a look. “Same kind as mine so you can use my cord for as long as it lasts. He stepped into the bedroom and grabbed his cord from his bag. “Plug it in while we are gone.” 

Following Max’s instruction, Nico plugged in the cord and attached his phone to charge. “Where are we going to get stuff?” he asked, looking at Max. 

“Normally I just run to the Publix up the street but I think this might call for a trip back over the bridge to the Walmart,” Max said with a shudder. “We can divide and conquer and get out of there pretty quickly.” 

Nico gave him a crooked grin, only one corner of his mouth tilting upward. “Your favorite place, huh?”

“Uh no,” Max said, grabbing the keys. “So be glad I’m braving it for you.” 

“And I can buy underwear and a toothbrush there?” Nico asked as he fell into position behind Max and followed him back outside. 

“Pick up some shirts and shorts and probably some swim trunks too,” Max said as they headed for the car. 

“I don’t know how to swim,” Nico said as they passed the pool and he looked at it longingly again. 

“You don’t have to know how to swim to get in the shallow end. Or the hot tub.” Max passed through the gate and unlocked the car. “I’ll keep an eye on you to keep you from drowning.” 

“Okay,” Nico agreed as he got in the car on the passenger side. “I stayed at a hotel that had a pool. It was when I was little. My mom wouldn’t let me get in.”

“Why?” Max asked. He hung the parking pass from the rearview mirror before they took off. 

“I don’t remember. Maybe she didn’t know how to swim either,” Nico replied.

The sun was starting to set and Max couldn’t help but yawn, tired from the long day of driving. “Do you remember a lot about her?”

“Yeah,” NIco answered softly. “She made great artichokes,” he added as he looked at Max.

“Better than mine,” Max smiled softly, feeling Nico’s eyes on him.

“Yours are good though. I had to sneak them into my room before my uncle…” Nico stopped talking and turned to look out the passenger side window. 

“I’ll make them for you again,” Max said. “The kitchen here is a nightmare but I shouldn’t call myself a cook unless I can made it work, right?”

Nico turned back to look at Max. He nodded in agreement; he had a feeling that Max would be able to do it. 

Max started to mentally assemble a grocery list in his head. “What else do you like to eat?” 

“Pizza,” Nico replied definitively. 

Laughing, Max nodded. “I think that’s a requirement for teenagers.” 

“What do you like to eat?” asked Nico.

“Everything. I’ve been on an ethnic kick lately, but I think I might be a little out of luck on that around here unless I cook it for myself. New York has a little bit of a leg up on southern Florida in that department.” 

“Ethnic kick?” Nico questioned, wanting to know more about the things that Max liked.

“Thai, Ethiopian, Indian, Greek, you name it I probably like it. You can get good Cuban food down here so at least I have that.” Max glanced over at Nico. “When you cook nothing but Italian food day in and day out you just want something… anything different.” 

“Not if you’re Italian,” Nico said then smiled. The group of men he used to delivery Max’s food to would never have considered Thai or Ethiopian food as an alternative.

“Good thing I’m not,” Max said, reaching over to nudge Nico’s arm. “I’ll make you pasta whenever you need it.” 

“I like Chinese food. I used to eat it with a friend from school. Moo Moo something. But it was chicken, not cow.” 

Max burst out laughing. His lack of sleep probably contributed to it, but he found that hilarious. “I’m totally calling it Moo Moo not cow from now on.” 

Nico looked at Max, appraising his laughing fit. “So you’ve had that before?” he asked, deciding Max’s laughter was good-natured and he wasn’t making fun of him. 

“I have. I can actually make that, it’s pretty simple. But it’s usually easier to just pick it up for carryout.” 

Nico practically turned sideways in his seat when they crossed the bridge again so he could see the water and the boats. When they had crossed it, he relaxed back into his seat. “How long can we stay here?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Max said, the same question having been in his brain as well. “I mean we can have the condo as long as we need, I just didn’t really have a plan beyond getting down here.” 

Nico nodded. “It’s a good plan.” 

“Let’s hope so,” Max said softly as he turned into the parking lot.

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Nico was loaded down with Walmart bags as he followed Max into the condo. He set them all on the kitchen bar, flexing his fingers to get the feeling back into them. Nico started to unpack the food items, stowing the refrigerator items first. 

Max let Nico work in the kitchen while he separated out the non-food items. He carried them back and forth to the bedroom and then stowed the empty plastic bags in the closet with the broom and cleaning supplies just in case they needed some later. 

When Nico finished, he picked up the toothbrush he bought and headed toward the bedroom. He paused just inside the door, taking a moment to look around the room. They left to do their shopping before he’d had a chance to look at the other room. A sink and counter was tucked into the corner of the bedroom with the toilet and shower in a separate room. The thing that Nico was most concerned with was the fact that there was only one bed. 

Max was at the sink, unpacking his toiletries. “Do you want the bottom drawers or the top drawers?” he asked as he worked. “Tiny closet so you won’t have room to hang too much.” 

“Bottom,” Nico answered as he moved toward the sink to put his toothbrush away. 

Max scooted over to make room. “I’ll go ahead and put the shampoo and soap in the shower,” he said, holding them up. 

“Okay,” Nico responded, turning to look at the bed again. 

When Max came back out of the bathroom he noticed Nico staring. “Something wrong?” 

Nico shook his head. “Just a little tired. Is it okay if I go ahead and crash?” he asked quietly.

“That’s my plan too as soon as we get everything put away. I’m not sure how I’m still functioning at this point,” Max said. 

“Are there some extra sheets or something for the couch?” Nico asked,

“Uh…” Max said, frowning. “No, why?” He emptied the last few things in his bag into the top drawer and then stowed the bag under the bed. 

Nico gestured over his shoulder to the couch. “So I can make up the couch?” 

Max was too tired to try and figure it out so he just asked. “Why would you sleep on the couch?” 

“There’s only one bed,” Nico replied. He shifted his stance, obviously uncomfortable with their conversation. 

“We figured out last night neither one of us snores so we’ll be fine. It is plenty big for both of us.” Max sat on the edge of the bed and slipped out of his shoes and then began peeling off his socks. 

“But we were in different beds,” Nico said feebly. 

Max stopped what he was doing and looked up at Nico. “What’s going on?” he asked, softening his tone because of Nico’s obvious upset. 

Nico looked away, unable to meet Max’s gaze. “I should have told you,” he said as he ran his hand through his hair. “Do you remember those black eyes my uncle gave me?” 

“Pretty hard to forget,” Max said, tossing his shoes and socks into the bottom of the closet. 

“I got those because my uncle didn’t like something about me.” Nico explained, each word harder to say than the last. 

Max nodded. He had a pretty good guess as to what Nico was going to say, but he wanted to let him say it. 

“He didn’t like it… that I’m gay,” Nico said. 

Max could tell how hard it was for Nico to say that too him. He was practically shaking and Max was sure it was out of fear of how he’d react. “I suspected that was the case,” he said, smiling softly. “And I don’t plan on doing anything but sleeping tonight so there is no need for you to take the couch.” 

Nico’s eyes widened as he stared at Max. “It doesn’t bother you?” 

“Not in the slightest,” Max said. “Remember how I said that I used to get beat too? It’s not the only thing we have in common.” 

Nico’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “You… really?” 

“Really,” Max said. He stood up and dug through his drawer looking for something to sleep in. “So I promise it is okay to share a bed, we could both use a good night’s sleep.” 

“Yeah,” Nico sighed, the relief leaving him feeling drained. “I didn’t wanna be weird about it, but I was worried what you’d think.” 

“Let that stress go. You’ll have plenty of other things to be stressed about,” Max smiled. “Now finish up and go to bed before we both pass out from sheer exhaustion.” 

Nico nodded turning his back to Max as he unzipped his jeans and slipped them off. He folded them and laid them aside. “Which side?” Nico asked, gesturing toward the bed.

“Door side,” Max said, peeling his shirt off over his head and replacing it with a clean one. 

Watching as he changed shirts, Nico’s gaze lingered on Max’s bare chest, but he looked away before Max saw him looking. He tugged at his own shirt, knowing his own thin frame was nothing much to stare at compared to Max’s.

Max stepped out of his jeans and tossed them and his discarded shirt into the pile he’d started of his socks and shoes. “I bet we didn’t lock the door when we came in,” he said, padding back out into the living room in his bare feet to check. 

Nico took the opportunity to slip beneath the covers when Max checked the door. He laid on his back and pulled the sheet up to his chin. 

Max locked the door and turned off all the lights and joined Nico in bed. He could feel the stiffness in the young man’s body but there wasn’t anything he could do at this point to make him more comfortable. “Goodnight,” he said softly, settling onto his side. 

“Goodnight,” Nico replied quickly, his voice sounding high pitched and squeaky. After a few minutes, he turned on his side to face the bedroom wall, his back to Max. The bed was comfortable and it was good to finally be able to lie down. It wasn’t long before Nico was asleep. 

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Max worked as quietly as possible in the kitchen, but there was a certain amount of noise that came along with digging a coffeepot out from the tiny cabinet under the sink and washing it up and getting it started. He’d left Nico to sleep, knowing he needed the rest. The sun was shining bright and it was already heating up even though it was still early. 

Nico rolled over in the bed when he heard something from the other room. It took him a moment to remember that he was not in New York and the person in the other room was not his uncle. It was Max. He got out of bed and went into the bathroom. Nico dressed in his jeans and discarded tee shirt before he opened the bedroom door and walked into the other room. 

“Hi,” Nico said before shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. 

“Good morning,” Max said, looking over his shoulder. He was looking out the sliding glass door at the pool which looked very inviting. “Sleep well?”

“Yeah. Forgot where I was when I woke up,” Nico confessed. “Did you sleep okay?” 

“I did. I feel 100% more human now,” he smiled. “Coffee should be ready soon. Are you a coffee drinker?” They’d split up the shopping the night before so he hadn’t had Nico’s input on what to buy. 

“Oh yeah,” Nico said with a slight smile. “I’m usually the one who has to make it.”

“Hopefully it is up to your standards then,” Max said. “Black or light?”

“Light. No sugar,” Nico replied as he moved toward the kitchen table. 

“No Coffeemate but there is heavy cream in the fridge. That will have to do for now but we can pick some up on the next trip. Are you a breakfast eater?” Max usually just went with black coffee and then ate at the restaurant, but he had a feeling his schedule would be shifting pretty dramatically now that he wasn’t at work until after midnight every day. 

“Not really,” Nico said as he stepped by Max to open the refrigerator. He poured a splash of cream into his coffee and leaned against the counter as he took the first sip. 

“Me either. There’s bread and stuff in there if you change your mind. Max tore himself away from the view and pour his own cup. “You did buy swim trunks, right?”

Nico nodded as he looked at Max over the rim of his coffee mug. 

“Good. Looks like it’s going to be a scorcher out there today.” Max took a seat on the couch, one leg tucked up under his seat. “We should probably talk about our story.” 

“Our story? You mean what we tell people when they ask questions?” Nico walked over to the couch, taking a seat on the other end. 

Max nodded. “The regulars will know me, either from when I was young or through my grandma, but we need to decide what we want to say about who you are and why we are here.” 

“What do you want to tell them?” Nico asked. As far as he was concerned, Max had saved his life and he didn’t want to make his life more difficult than he already had. 

Max tried to think through plausible scenarios. A friend? A nephew? What would arouse the least suspicion? “Honestly my brain is just not working well at the moment,” he sighed. 

“If you want to tell them I’m a relative, that’s okay with me. You know, so they don’t think we’re something else.” Nico looked down into his coffee mug. “My uncle always made a point of explaining that I was his sister’s kid.”

“Unfortunately there’s a good chance everyone here knows my entire family tree,” Max said. “Let’s just go with a friend from work and you’d never been to Florida so we decided to take a vacation.” 

“Okay. A friend from work,” Nico repeated. 

“Some of our dishwashers and busboys are your age. You can pick what you want your alternate life job to be,” Max smiled. 

“Dishwasher. That’s something I am very familiar with.” Nico smirked and took another sip of his coffee.

“Dishwasher it is,” Max said. “Don’t be surprised if they grill you, they like new people to talk to. But you also don’t have to chat if you don’t want to.”

“Yeah. I’m not that great at chatting,” Nico said. “But I can keep my story straight. That, I’ve had experience with.”

Max nodded. “I figured.” He glanced outside again. “And I want you to feel comfortable coming and going when you want. Obviously we just have the one car, but if you need something I can take you, and you don’t have to stick right with me all the time. You can sit out on the dock or come in and out from the pool whenever you like okay?” He wasn’t sure what kind of freedom Nico had at home and he wanted to be clear that he wasn’t trying to be in charge of him here.

“Okay,” Nico replied. He was entirely out of his element, but he wanted to do whatever Max thought was best. “You said the pool wasn’t that deep, right?”

“Where you first get in it’s about chest high,” Max said, gesturing with his hand. “If you stay on this side of the rope you’ll be able to touch the ground. You can also just lay out in the sun if you are worried,” he teased.

“I’m not worried,” Nico replied with more bravado than he truly felt. 

“I feel like I’m overwhelming you with all this,” Max said. “I should just shut up and let you be.” 

“It’s stuff I need to know,” Nico countered. “And I don’t want to screw up.” 

That phrase made Max pause. “There’s no screwing up,” he said softly. “I’m not like your uncle, okay?”

Nico looked straight at Max. “You could never be like him.” 

Max nodded. “I feel like I’ve been giving a lot of orders. And that’s totally not my place.” He realized now how much of what he’d been saying could seem. “I’m not trying to dictate how this should go. It really is up to you.” 

“You’re just telling me things because I’ve never been here before. I get that,” Nico reassured him. 

“If you want to tell the truth about why we are here, that’s okay too,” Max said. “That you needed to get out of a bad situation. It’s you that has to answer the questions, so whatever you feel comfortable with.” 

“I like the work story better,” Nico said. “Yeah, let’s go with that one.”

Max drained his coffee cup and went for a refill. “Did you check your phone this morning?” he asked, noticing it on the counter. 

“No,” Nico answered. “Why? Did you hear it ring?” 

“No,” Max said, returning to the couch. “I just knew you were worried it was going to stop working.” 

“The only person who called me was my uncle so…” Nico shrugged, leaving the rest of the sentence unspoken.

“That’s because you hadn’t known me very long,” Max said, trying to lighten the subject. “But no boyfriends? Or just friends?”

“No, not really. Not since I left school. And they wouldn’t have that number anyway because I got the phone after,” Nico explained.

“So there really won’t be anyone missing you,” Max said softly. He knew things were bad for Nico but he was finally starting to understand just how bad.

Nico shook his head. “What about you? Do you have a boyfriend? Or friends who will miss you?”

“Most of my friends are work friends...and they’ll just be pissed at picking up the extra shifts on no notice. The hours and workload don’t leave a lot of time for socializing. Most people like to go out in the evenings and I’m always at work. And then sleeping during the day so…..” Max trailed off. “Yeah. Not really.” 

“I’m sorry you had to leave your job like that. I’m glad you helped me. You didn’t have to, but I’m glad you did,” Nico said sincerely.

Max stared down into his coffee. “It really hasn’t sunk in yet. I hated it so much but I never had the balls to actually leave.” 

“You hated your job?” Nico asked, surprised by Max’s revelation.

“I don’t hate working in restaurants,” Max said, swirling the liquid around in his mug. “I was just stuck there. I wasn’t ever moving up, and I wasn’t improving my skills. I was just stuck and going through the motions every day silently dying inside.” 

“Your skills are great though. You’re a really good cook,” Nico said quickly. 

“We’ll see about that,” Max laughed. “I can make the restaurant’s menu in my sleep but I haven’t made anything but that in years.” 

“You can practice with me, if you want,” Nico encouraged.

“I plan to,” Max smiled. “That stove will be a challenge all to itself. And you seem to be a picky eater,” he teased. 

“What? I’m not picky,” Nico protested. “Can you make artichokes on that stove?”

“I’ll have to see what kind of pans we have. But remember the night in the diner? Total picky eater.” 

“Am not,” Nico insisted. “I bet there’s stuff you don’t like to eat.”

“Not much,” Max said, finishing his coffee. “That comes from working in a kitchen though.” 

“Can you teach me to cook some time? Easy stuff. Not like stuffed artichokes.” 

“We need to start a list,” Max said. “Learn to drive, learn to cook, and learn to swim. And speaking of learning to swim,” he said, standing up and carrying his cup to the sink. “I’m getting in the pool.”

“Can I come, too?” Nico asked eagerly. 

“Of course. Might as well get started on those lessons. Go throw on your trunks.”


	4. Chapter 4

The next few weeks seemed to pass quickly as Max and Nico’s lives settled into a routine of laid back summer days. Between cooking, driving and swimming lessons they were spending a lot of their time together, but they had time to themselves as well. The nights were becoming more of a challenge for Nico, since he’d acknowledged his growing sexual attraction to Max, an acknowledgement he kept to himself. 

Max wasn’t anything like most of the men he’d known in his young life. He was fun and funny, without being sarcastic or hurtful or making Nico the brunt of his humor. Max was patient. No matter how many times Nico screwed something up, Max would just urge him to try again. He was smart, too. He was teaching Nico so many things just by spending time with him. 

The problem was that Max was sexy, too. Nico watched him when he thought Max was busy and wouldn’t notice - his tall, strong body, broad shoulders tapering to a slender waist despite the excellent food they would eat. The dark eyes that sparkled with laughter or expressed concern without words. Nico liked Max’s smile best of all. Easy and genuine. Max wasn’t stingy with his smiles and Nico even liked the lines around Max’s mouth that were proof of his generosity. 

Max had done so much for Nico, rescuing him from his situation in New York and stealing him away to somewhere safe. It was a new world, a new life, and he wasn’t going to jeopardize it in any way. His attraction to Max had to remain a secret. 

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Every time Max went looking for Nico he found him surrounded by a group of the other residents. They’d taken him under their wing, telling him stories and doting on him. Baked goods showed up regularly, Max’s attempts at feeding Nico new things evidently not satisfying them that Nico was getting enough. 

Max had fallen back in love with cooking, even using the cramped stove with one burner that worked sporadically and another that only had two settings - lukewarm and nuclear hot. The weekly farmer’s market had become a tradition for them, Nico shopping as Max meal planned in his head. He’d even made the artichokes that Nico so dearly loved, his one nod to the cooking he’d done for so many years. 

Max often found himself just watching Nico when Nico wasn’t looking. Sometimes he had to remind himself that he was only seventeen. That he shouldn’t be as enamored by the engaging young man who was emerging from his shell. Likewise he tried not to attribute the positive changes he was seeing in himself to Nico’s influence. He was smoking far less and sleeping well for the first time in forever. The sunshine and relaxation was doing him good body and soul. 

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Nico burst through the patio’s screen door, letting it slam behind him. “Max! Come look! It’s a shark!” he called, gesturing with his hands excitedly. 

Max was washing and hulling the strawberries they’d picked up at the market when Nico started making such a commotion. “A shark?” he asked, looking over his shoulder. “That would be pretty unusual around here. Are you sure?”

“Come on, he’s out by the dock!” Nico took hold of Max’s arm and began to tug him toward the door. “Come on, before he leaves!”

Max tossed the knife into the sink and managed to wipe his hands on a towel before Nico got him out of the kitchen. “Okay okay,” he laughed, following Nico out toward the dock. 

Nico continued to pull Max out of the condo and over to the dock. He stopped at the end, searching the water in the vicinity of where he’d seen the shark. Nico waved his arm, pointing enthusiastically. “There! See the fin?”

Max had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. “Not a shark” he said, shaking his head. 

“What?” Nico gave him a puzzled look.

“Dolphin,” Max smiled, watching the animal as it zipped back and forth in the shallow water. “They seem to like it here by the dock. I don’t know if it’s because the water is warm or there are fish here, but they often come to visit.” 

“Dolphin?” Nico looked back just in time to see the animal in question jump out of the water before it disappeared again. 

Max nodded. “They are fun to watch. And some years I never saw any at all so you are pretty lucky.” 

Nico was obviously embarrassed by his mistake but it didn’t stop him from watching the water in the hopes of seeing the dolphin again. 

“If he likes this spot you’ll probably see him around again,” Max said, noticing the flush in Nico’s cheeks but not saying anything about it. 

“It’s still cool. Dolphins are cool.” Nico murmured with a nod.

“Way cooler than sharks because they don’t want to eat you,” Max pointed out. 

“Good point.” Nico couldn’t see the dolphin anymore. “Sorry I dragged you out here.”

“I’m glad you did. I got to see the dolphin.” Max stepped back from the edge of the dock to let Nico lead the way back. “Plus it made me realize it is far too nice of a day to spend inside. The strawberries can wait.” 

“I can help you with them, if you want,” offered Nico.

Max waved his hand. “Later. Let’s jump in the pool first. It’s supposed to rain later and I don’t want to miss our chance.” 

“Okay,” Nico agreed eagerly. He wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to see Max in swim shorts. 

Max grabbed his trunks from the porch where he’d left them to dry. He ducked into the bedroom to pull them on, shivering from the cold when he found they were still a little damp. “I’ve got both towels,” he called after they switched spots so Nico could change. He laid the towels on a chair by the steps and then slipped into the sparkling water. 

Nico joined him a few moments later, his bright coral swim trunks too loud to miss. He held onto the rail as he took the steps cautiously into the shallow end of the pool. Nico dunked his head and pushed back his wet hair, rubbing at his nose when the chlorine made it sting. 

Max was already down in the deep end, lazily swimming back and forth from one side to another. “Is today the day you are ready for this side of the rope?” He’d asked a similar question most days since they’d arrived, and he assumed he’d get the same response as always. Nico was getting braver about being in the water, but he still wanted his feet on the ground at all times.   
“Okay.” Nico’s answer didn’t sound as confident as it had in his head, but he figured he’d never learn if he didn’t try. He moved toward the rope, slowly lifting it and stepping under. Nico still felt the bottom of the pool but the water was lapping at his chin. 

Surprised by Nico’s boldness, Max immediately swam toward him. “Look at you!” he said as he pulled up to tread water in front of him. “See it’s not so bad on this side.” 

“For you and the dolphin maybe,” Nico joked. He started to move forward and felt the bottom slope under his foot. Startled by the sinking sensation, Nico grabbed for Max. 

“Relax,” Max said softly, holding his arms out in front of him. “Hang on to my arms,” he instructed. “Let the water support your weight.” 

Nico tried to follow Max’s instructions but kept his grip on Max’s arms. “Don’t let me sink,” he whispered.

“I won’t,” Max promised. He slowly backed them up until they were deep enough that he knew Nico’s feet were off the bottom. “See, no sinking.” 

Nico’s lips were parted as he took deep breaths, his eyes wide with uncertainty. 

“Look at you, you’re practically swimming,” Max smiled. His arms would probably have bruises from Nico’s death grip, but if that is what it took to help him feel safe he’d endure it. 

“Seriously?” Nico rasped, distracted by the compliment long enough to manage a smile.

“Seriously.” Max started moving backwards again, towing Nico along with him. He showed him how to move his legs to help keep him afloat and he proved to be a quick study. 

“I’m swimming,” Nico said proudly although he wasn’t confident enough to let go of Max just yet. 

“You totally are.” Max loved the pure joy that Nico was radiating. It was such a small thing, but seeing Nico light up like that was like a drug to him. 

Nico swam some more, slowly cornering Max along the edge of the pool. He reached out to hold onto the side, one hand still gripping Max’s arm. “Thanks, Max,” Nico said sincerely.

“You’re welcome,” Max said, grabbing the side of the pool with his free hand. They bobbed there in the water for a moment, so close together their bodies touched from shoulder to toe. 

Nico didn’t usually allow himself to look at Max for too long, but they were so close and he found it hard to look away. 

“I’ll have to start calling you dolphin if you keep this up,” Max said softly. 

“Think I’ll be able to swim as good as that?” Nico asked with a smile. His embarrassment about mistaking the dolphin for a shark now gone.

“I know you will,” Max said, Nico’s grin revealing that he’d finally forgotten about not being able to touch the ground. “Ready to try it without holding on to me?”

“Can I still hold the side?” Nico asked, not releasing Max just yet.

Max laughed. “Yes. You hold on with both hands and let your feet come up so you are floating on the surface.” He laid his left hand on Nico’s stomach, helping to guide him up into position and then support him there. 

Nico tried to comply, but he couldn’t concentrate. Max’s touch was distracting and he found it hard to think of anything except how good it felt. 

“Now kick your feet,” Max said, gradually reducing the pressure of his hand against Nico’s skin as he kept himself afloat. 

Nico kicked his feet and felt buoyant in the water, but he wouldn’t let go of the side for fear of sinking.

Max cheered Nico on, treading water right next to him but not holding on to him as he practiced kicking. 

Focused on staying afloat, Nico’s grip was slippery and he let go of the side. The realization he was on his own in the deeper water made him panic and he stopped kicking and started to flail instead. 

Max’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening. He couldn’t quite reach Nico in time and he slipped below the surface, a mass of churning arms and legs. Max managed to catch him around the waist and pull him up, Nico’s back pressed against his chest. “I’ve got you, I’ve got you,” he said right into Nico’s ear. 

Nico eventually stopped struggling, clinging to Max’s arm around him like a lifeline. “Shallow end,” he rasped, his voice edged with the panic he’d felt. 

“Keep breathing,” Max said, slowly working his way back to where he could touch. He let go of Nico with one arm just long enough to lift the rope and move them back into the shallow end and then held him again with both arms. 

“Sorry… sorry.” Nico apologized, visibly shaken by his sudden scare. 

“It’s ok,” Max said, keeping his voice soft and calm. “You did so good for your first day out there. I’m proud of you.” 

Nico looked over his shoulder at Max. “You don’t think I’m a wimp?” he asked.

“No!” Max said, making sure Nico could see that he was telling the truth. “I shouldn’t have let go.” 

“It wasn’t your fault. My hand slipped,” Nico countered. He turned in Max’s arms, suddenly very aware of how close they were. 

“Did you suck in some water or manage to hold your breath?” Max asked, relaxing his arms but leaving them around Nico’s waist. 

“I think I stopped breathing all together,” Nico replied as he looked at Max.

Max smiled. “Probably a good instinct. How are you feeling now?”

“I’m okay.” Nico lifted his arm to push his wet hair off his face. “Thank you for not letting me drown,” he added softly.

“I promised I wouldn’t.” Max realized that he was still holding Nico and he let him go and stepped back just a few inches. He didn’t want to make Nico uncomfortable, even though to Max it had felt oddly right. 

Nico swayed forward in the water, unconsciously chasing Max’s embrace. He straightened and took a step toward the ladder. “Think I’ll go take a shower.”

Max nodded. “I’m gonna take a turn in the hot tub so take your time.” He didn’t mind the time apart, he had some things to think through. 

“Okay. See ya,” Nico said before he climbed out of the pool and headed toward their condo. He looked over his shoulder to see Max one more time before he disappeared inside. 

Max watched him go and then dragged himself up out of the water. The sky was starting to turn grey and he knew the rain was on the way. He turned on the jets and then inched his way into the hot water, letting it soak into his muscles as he tried to figure out just what it was he was feeling for the younger man. 

Nico stripped out of his wet suit and stepped into the shower. He cranked the temperature to hot and ducked his head beneath the water. He closed his eyes and thought about Max’s arms around him again. They had been so close, near enough to kiss. Nico wrapped his fingers around his cock, slowly stroking himself as he dreamed of what it would feel like to kiss Max and to have him kiss him back. He braced his hand against the tile wall, his other hand fisting his erection. When he came, Nico didn’t feel the relief he wanted, only more longing.

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Nico saw the flash of lightning from behind his closed eyes, but it was the loud crack of thunder that startled him and made him jerk in surprise. He opened his eyes to see the curtains billowing and twisting in the strong wind that had blown in the summer storm. 

Max lifted his head, checking to be sure Nico’s eyes were open before he spoke. “Is it raining in?” he asked, his eyes straining to see in the dark. 

“No, not yet. Should I close the window?” Nico asked as he sat up in the bed. 

“Leave it for now,” Max said, relaxing back against the pillow. “The breeze is nice.” Another crack of thunder made them both start, and Max couldn’t help but laugh. “We’re jumpy.” 

“It’s louder here. The thunder. I never noticed thunderstorms in the city.” Nico laid back down. 

“I think it’s partly that it’s just quieter here at night,” Max said, rolling onto his side so he could look at Nico in the dark. “So the storm is louder in comparison.” 

“I like it.” Nico turned his head to look at Max. “The quiet, not the thunder.”

“It’s definitely different than the city,” Max said. “But I’m sure you wouldn’t have wanted to grow up here.” 

“Why not?” asked Nico.

“Not a lot of diversity here. Not a lot of young people. In the city you can always find people like you. I think here would be more problematic.” 

“People like me. You mean… gay?” 

“Yeah,” Max said softly. 

Nico hadn’t really thought about it. Lately, all his thoughts had been about one gay man in particular, the one he was sharing a bed with every night. “I guess,” he said noncommittally.

Max let another roll of thunder pass before he spoke again. “You said you didn’t have a boyfriend right now who would miss you. Have you ever had a boyfriend?” It was a very personal, intimate question, but the cover of darkness let him ask.   
“No. Not a real boyfriend,” Nico answered softly.

“A fake boyfriend?” Max asked, a smile on his face that he hoped came through in his voice. 

Nico leaned over to punch Max playfully on his arm. “No. Not a fake one either.”

“Good to know.” The breeze had turned cool enough that Max needed to pull the covers up over his arms and in doing so he scooted closer to Nico. “So no real boyfriend, no fake boyfriend……” he said, trailing off and pausing for a moment. “Hookers?” he teased. 

“Seriously?” Nico snorted. “Not on my budget.”

“I was just teasing,” Max said. “But can I ask you something personal?”

“Sure,” Nico replied softly.”

“I know what kind of environment you grew up in. If you didn’t have someone in your life like that how did your uncle find out you were gay?

“Oh... well, he caught me kissing another boy from school.” Nico’s reply was soft, it was obvious he was remembering the moment. 

“But that boy wasn’t someone special?” Max asked, practically in a whisper. 

“I liked him, but…” Nico sighed. “I never saw him again. That’s when I dropped out of school.”

“Did you know you were gay before you realized you liked him?” The storm seemed to be abating, but Max was so invested in the conversation that he was wide awake. 

“Well yeah,” Nico replied. 

Max waited for a moment but when Nico didn’t continue he kept going. “When did you know?”

“I don’t know. I was a kid,” Nico shrugged. “When did you know?”

“Not that early,” Max said, thinking back. “I think I was in high school before I realized that when other guys talked about how they felt about girls was not at all what I was experiencing.” 

Nico was quiet for a moment before he spoke again. “My uncle and his friends watched porn. He’d make me sit with them and watch, too. I think he thought he could make me straight.”

Max smiled. “Interesting theory.” 

“Joke was on him. I just watched the guys. I have a pretty good imagination. Enough to make due,” Nico said, smiling to himself in the dark room.

“Lemonade out of lemons,” Max nodded. 

“Yeah,” Nico agreed. “Lemonade.”

“Unfortunately as I was saying earlier your prospects for gay guys your age around here are probably pretty slim.” Max wondered why he was pushing that, maybe it was a result of guilt about some of the feelings he had. 

Nico was quiet again. There was something about lying in the dark that made him feel bolder than he really was. “What if I don’t want a guy my age?” he asked.

“No colleges around here unfortunately so probably not a lot of guys that age either. Unless they are working somewhere for the summer.” 

Sighing softly, Nico turned on his side facing Max. “You think I’m just a kid, don’t you?”

“Not a kid,” Max said, his eyes adjusted enough to the darkness that he could just make out Nico’s features. “But you are only seventeen.” 

“Yeah, so? That doesn’t automatically mean I want another seventeen year old,” Nico argued.

Max nodded. “You’re right, that wasn’t fair of me to assume.” 

“Did you want another seventeen year old when you were seventeen?” asked Nico.

“I don’t think I knew what I wanted when I was seventeen,” Max said truthfully. “I wanted it all, at least once, just to try it out.” 

“Did trying it all help you figure it out?” Nico questioned.

Max shook his head despite the darkness. “Looking back on it, not really. I don’t know that anything helps you figure it all out, you just figure some things out with time.” 

“And maybe some people don’t need time. They already know,” Nico said. “I think the storm is gone,” he added softly.

“Maybe,” Max said, in answer to both. “Are you one of those people?”

“Maybe,” Nico echoed.

Max laid in silence for a moment, the darkness allowing him to just stare at Nico unabashedly. The younger man was putting to words so much of what he was feeling too, even if he didn’t want to admit it to himself. “I hope you can find what you are looking for,” he said finally. 

“Me, too. Hope you find it, too.” Nico sighed, shifting in the bed. “You’re a good guy. You deserve it.”

“Let’s hope the universe is listening,” Max smiled. “For both our sakes.” 

Nico turned over, his back to Max. “Goodnight,” he said through a yawn. 

“Goodnight,” Max said softly. 

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Max wasn’t sure if it was the midnight talk or the calm after the storm, but he slept more deeply than he had since they arrived. He would have been sure that he’d been like a rock and not moved an inch the rest of the night, except when he cracked his eyes open he found his arms filled with a sleeping Nico. They were still both facing the far wall, but Nico’s back was against his chest and they were curved together perfectly. He did his best not to move, both not wanting to disturb Nico but also not wanting to deal with the inevitable awkwardness that would come from waking up like this. 

The sun was pouring into the open window; the beams falling across Nico’s face. He made an unintelligible sound as he turned over and burrowed further into Max’s embrace in an attempt to escape the offensive light. Nico pressed his face against Max’s shoulder, breathing in his scent as he hovered beneath wakefulness and sleep. 

Max shifted his arms just enough to accommodate Nico’s new position. He’d always felt protective of him, and holding him like this felt so natural. 

Nico opened his eyes. He knew he was in bed, but waking up like this was something new. He tilted his head back to get a better look at Max and saw that he was a awake, too. “Max?” Nico asked softly, hopefully. 

“Good morning,” Max said softly. “I didn’t move because I was afraid I’d wake you up.” 

“Oh,” Nico replied as he started to pull away. “Sorry.” 

“It’s ok,” Max said, not moving his arms but also not preventing Nico from moving away if he wanted. “I slept better than I have since I got here, so it didn’t bother me.” 

“The storm didn’t keep you awake?” Nico asked as he sat up in the bed. 

“I don’t think it picked back up after we talked,” Max said, rolling onto his back once Nico had left his arms. 

“That’s right. It was quiet after that,” Nico agreed. 

Max scrubbed the back of his hand across his eyes. “How did you sleep?”

“Good. Until the sun…” Nico gestured toward the window. 

“No wonder you turned over and buried your head,” Max smiled. “Hiding from the sun.” 

“That’s right. I have enough freckles,” Nico said as he slipped off the bed and padded toward the bathroom. 

Max watched him go and then shook his head. “Yep, awkward,” he said to himself softly. He swung his feet off the bed and headed for the kitchen to get the coffee going. 

Nico leaned against the bathroom door and took his first deep breath of the morning. He looked down at his hands to see them shaking, hoping that Max hadn’t noticed anything peculiar about his reaction to waking up wrapped in his arms. Last night’s conversation had not been encouraging. Max wasn’t interested in a seventeen year old. Unfortunately for Nico, that didn’t keep him from being attracted to Max. 

Straining his ears to hear if Nico was still in the bathroom, Max measured the water and grounds and then leaned back against the counter while it ran. He wondered if Nico might just stay in there all day. 

Nico finished in the bathroom then returned to the bedroom to dress. He pulled on a pair of his khaki shorts and a baby blue tee shirt. He ran his hand back through his hair, not bothering with a brush, before he left the bedroom and walked into the kitchen/living room area. “Coffee smells good,” Nico said.

“Should be done soon.” He pulled two mugs down from the cabinet and left them on the counter. “My turn in the bathroom” Max said, passing by Nico on his way back into the bedroom. He was trying to act normally, hoping it came off that way. 

Nico nodded and watched Max leave. The coffee was still brewing so he walked across the living room and pulled back the heavy drapes that covered the sliding glass door. He pulled the door open to find that the morning breeze blowing through was not that hot so he left it open as he stepped out onto the screened porch. There was no one sitting by the pool yet, but it might be too early yet Nico thought. 

Max returned and found Nico at the door. “If you want to go sit out on the dock I can bring the coffee when it’s ready. It looks beautiful this morning.” 

“You sure?” Nico asked, one hand already on the door handle. 

“I’m sure.” They’d been around each other long enough for Max to know both how Nico liked his coffee and how much Nico liked to sit and watch the water. 

“Okay, thanks!” Nico said with a smile before he opened the door and walked toward the dock. Max was right, it was a beautiful morning. The sky was a bright, clear blue with a few fluffy white clouds floating overhead. The water seemed to reflect the sky, appearing more blue than green this morning. Nico leaned against the railing and watched as a sightseeing boat filled with tourists putted by their dock. 

Max changed into his swim trunks and a tshirt while the coffee brewed and then carried the steaming mugs outside. It was quiet, the morning cleaning crew at the restaurant next door hadn’t started their normal morning ruckus. “Coffee delivery,” he said, handing over one of the mugs. 

“Thanks,” Nico said as he took the coffee from Max, breathing in the lovely scent.

“Is our dolphin friend around this morning?” Max asked, leaning against the rail. 

“I haven’t seen him. Or her,” Nico replied. “The pelicans have been fishing though.” 

“I’m fascinated by how they can see the fish under the water while they are flying,” Max said, sipping his coffee. 

Nico nodded. “They are crazy skilled at fishing for sure.” He took a sip of his coffee. It was perfect, just the way he liked it. 

Max watched Nico for a moment before he spoke again. “I’ll leave you to your water watching,” he said, not wanting to intrude if Nico wanted to be alone. “We can try the pool again later if you are up for it.” 

“Oh. Okay,” Nico responded, disappointed that Max wasn’t staying. “See you later.” 

There was something in Nico’s voice that made him pause, but he reasoned that Nico hadn’t actually asked him to stay. “See you in a bit,” he said, resting his hand at the small of Nico’s back as he passed by him and headed back for the condo. 

Nico watched Max walk away before returning his attention back to the water. He sighed then took another drink of his coffee. Max just needed his own space, Nico reasoned. They were together most of the day, every day. Even sharing the same bed. Nico’s thoughts immediately returned to the moment he’d woken up in Max’s arms. He had wanted Max to kiss him. Nico daydreamed constantly about what it would feel like to be kissed by Max. And that was as close as he was ever going to get. Nico sighed again and took another sip of coffee.


	5. Chapter 5

Nico came in, the screen door slamming behind him. “Sorry,” he winced in apology when Max looked up from his book. “I forget every time.” Nico lifted his arm to show Max the six-pack of beer in his hand. “It’s a gift. From Edna. She said it’s Canadian and it’s the best.” 

Max did a double take. “Does Edna know you are seventeen?”

“It’s for you,” Nico said with a roll of his eyes. “She’s a nice lady. I like her,” he said as he walked to the refrigerator and put the beer inside. “Did you want one now?” Nico asked before closing the door to the fridge.

“Yes please,” Max said, putting his book aside. It was late afternoon, five o’clock somewhere he was sure. “She definitely seems sweet on you.” 

“She likes you, too. Your accent. She’s always talking about it,” Nico said as he handed Max one of the bottles of beer then plopped down on the couch beside him. 

“So maybe it’s me she’s sweet on?” Max laughed, using the edge of the end table to pop the cap on the bottle. 

“Could be. She might have said some things about your legs, too.” Nico turned his head away as his mouth curved into a grin. 

Max stuck his legs straight out and bent to the side to examine them. “My legs? I have nice legs?”

Nico let out a little huff of laughter. “I shouldn’t have told you. Now you’re going to let it go to your head!”

“I just never thought of legs being something that someone would find attractive,” Max said, twisting his feet back and forth. 

“She’s probably talking about the muscles.” Nico offered the possibility as he looked at Max’s legs. 

Max pointed his toes so his calf muscles tensed. “All that standing in kitchens. I’m probably losing them though being down here. Getting soft.”  
“You’re not getting soft,” Nico countered, reaching over to playfully pinch at Max’s side. 

Max play slapped Nico’s hand. “Hey now,” he laughed. He tasted the beer and hummed happily. “She’s right, this is good.” 

“Can I try it?” Nico asked as he looked at Max with big, brown eyes. 

Those eyes were Max’s weakness. “Have you had beer before?”

“Of course,” was Nico’s honest reply. “I used to steal sips off my uncle’s when he made me go get a beer for him.”

“Just checking. How would you know if it was any good if you didn’t have anything to compare it to?” Max said, handing over the bottle. 

“My uncle drank Moretti. Is it better than that?” Nico asked as he took the bottle.

Max shook his head. “I’ve never had that so I don’t know. You’ll have to be the judge.” 

Nico took a small sip of the beer and licked his lips as he compared them mentally. “About the same, I guess,” he declared with a shrug before handing the bottle back to Max.

“Is beer your preference or just the only alcohol you’ve had?” Max picked at the edge of the label with his nail as they talked. 

“I’m Italian.” Nico stared at Max as if that was explanation enough.

“So… no?” Max asked, honestly not knowing about the Italian connection. 

“Wine. Italians drink a lot of wine,” Nico explained. “You don’t know this? You cook amazing Italian food and you don’t know?”

Max laughed. “Duh. And I’ve only had about a half a beer. This is why I don’t drink very often.” 

“Are you a lightweight?” Nico teased.

“Just out of practice,” Max said. “I was going through a lot of bad stuff for awhile and drinking too much was making it worse. So I backed off.” 

“Oh sorry. I was just joking around…” Nico looked away, embarrassed by his perceived faux paux. 

Max reached over and touched Nico’s arm. “It’s fine, really. It was just a matter of realizing that it wasn’t the answer to the problems I was having.” 

Nico wanted to ask Max about those problems, but he didn’t want to be too nosy. “Only one beer a day for you then,” he said with a weak smile.

His hand still lingering on Nico’s arm, Max smiled. “I promise it’s not a problem. I didn’t mean to bring things down. Let’s go back to talking about how hot my legs are.” 

“I shouldn’t have told you! You’re totally letting it go to your head!” Nico accused, his smile returning. 

“Maybe just a little. Now that I know the ladies are checking me out I might have to start putting on a little show.” 

“You better not!” Nico said as he tugged on Max’s arm. “Edna will know I told you!”

“Why’s that?” Max asked, tipping his head back and finishing off the beer.

“If you start acting like they should check you out she’ll know I told you. You’re not going to, are you?” Nico asked.

Max sighed. “Your secret is safe with me. I’ll deal with the burden of trying not to look hot.” 

Nico punched Max’s upper arm. “I’m keeping the beer for myself the next time,” he warned.

“You wouldn’t,” Max laughed. 

“I would!” Nico countered, smiling despite his fervor. 

“I’d have to….” Max paused. “Well I don’t know. But I’d do something.” 

“Oh yeah. I’m worried now,” Nico said.

“You should be,” Max said with a nod. 

Nico just shook his head and reached for Max’s empty bottle. “Gimme that.”

Max playfully pulled it away but then handed it over. 

“I’ll tell Edna you enjoyed the beer,” Nico said as he got up to go put the bottle in the recycling bin.

“Yes please. I wouldn’t want to distract her with my muscular thighs,” Max said, getting in one last dig. “We should cook her something in return.” 

“We?” Nico looked at Max. 

“Yes you. You can be my sous chef.” 

“What’s that?” Nico asked as he returned to the couch. 

“Assistant. You do the prep work and I do the cooking. Teamwork.” Max looked over at Nico. “We make a good team.” 

“You really think so?” Nico asked, staring at Max. 

“I do,” Max said softly, once again finding himself drawn to Nico’s eyes.

The gentle tone of Max’s voice made Nico believe him. He continued to stare at Max. Nico didn’t want to pretend that he wasn’t looking at the other man this time. 

Max found himself leaning toward Nico. It wasn’t a conscious decision, his body was just responding. 

Nico was afraid to move, afraid he was imagining Max moving closer.

If Max was honest with himself the one beer wasn’t enough to absolve him of responsibility for his actions, but it let him act and so he went for it. Sliding his and behind Nico’s neck he pulled him into a soft kiss.

With a soft murmur, Nico melted into the kiss. He had dreamed of kissing Max and the reality was far better than his imagination. Nico tasted the beer on Max’s lips and his own lips parted as the kiss deepened.

Max pushed away the nagging voice in the back of his brain and let himself enjoy the kiss. Nico was a good kisser, given his inexperience, and Max realized he’d forgotten what it was like to kiss someone with actual tenderness behind it. 

Nico’s fingers curled into the fabric of Max’s shirt, unconsciously clinging to him as the kiss continued. The softness of Max’s lips seemed contradictory to his strength and Nico found the contrast as attractive as the man.

Max was just about to push forward, deepening the kiss and moving it toward something more when alarm bells went off in his head. He broke the kiss and turned his head away, knowing what he’d done was wrong. 

Leaning back, Nico stared at Max’s profile. “Max?” 

“Yeah?” Max said softly, not looking at Nico. 

“Why’d you stop?” Nico asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Max sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Because I shouldn’t have done that. I wasn’t thinking.” 

“Don’t say that. I wanted you to.” Nico let go of Max’s shirt. 

Max stood up, putting more space between them. “No,” he said with a shake of his head. 

“Yes. I did,” Nico said again.

“You might think you do, but it’s just because we’ve been cooped up here together. And I’d just be taking advantage of you if I let it happen,” Max said, bracing his hands against the counter. 

Nico frowned. “That may be it for you, but don’t try to tell me what I think, okay?” he said as he got to his feet. 

Max turned his head, looking at Nico for the first time since they kissed. “I’m not trying to tell you what to think,” he said, his voice softer now. “I’m just trying not to take advantage of you. You’ve had enough of that in your life.” 

“Sure. I get it,” Nico said defensively. He really didn’t understand and Max’s rejection was as painful as his uncle’s abuse. 

Max was pretty sure he didn’t, but he chose not to press the point. “I just don’t want you to feel like you owe it to me for what I’ve done for you.” 

Nico shook his head. “I might be a charity case, but I didn’t kiss you because I think I owe you. Stop making excuses.” 

“You aren’t a charity case,” Max said. “Not in the slightest.” 

Nico stared at Max as if he was going to refute what he said. Instead he turned and left with a mumbled “Whatever”, the screen door slamming behind him. 

Max watched him go, debating whether to chase after him. He decided it wouldn’t do anything good, things were too raw between them. He grabbed another beer from the fridge and collapsed on the couch, his thoughts swirling. 

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

The sound of a motorcycle backfiring startled Max awake. He immediately rolled over and found the other side of the bed still empty and undisturbed. He’d gone to bed before Nico had come home and he’d been sure the younger man would slip back in once Max had gone to bed to avoid any further confrontation. He hadn’t planned to fall asleep, but obviously that plan had failed. He glanced at the clock and saw it was after three and started to panic a little. He wasn’t sure where Nico might have gone, but he didn’t want something to happen to him all because of what he’d done. 

Slipping into his sweatpants he shoved his feet into a pair of flip flops and opened the door to the living room. He stopped short when he saw Nico curled up in a ball on the couch. He didn’t have a pillow or any blankets and Max instantly felt terrible. 

“Nico?” he said softly, not sure if he was sleeping or just lying there in the dark. 

“Yeah?” Nico replied, lifting his head. He’d been dozing in and out of sleep on the couch.

“I was worried,” Max said, his racing heart slowly returning to normal. “You should come to bed.” 

“No. I’m not sleeping in there with you,” Nico said quickly. He sounded like a petulant child, his pride still stinging from Max’s earlier rejection.

“Why?” Max asked, leaning against the door frame. 

“Because I don’t want to,” Nico replied defiantly. 

“You’d rather give yourself a backache and a crick in your neck out here?”

“What if I do?” Nico turned his back to Max and laid his head down again.

“Then there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m glad you are safe though.” Max turned and started back into the bedroom before looking back over his shoulder. “When you are done cutting off your nose to spite your face you can at least come in and get your pillows.” 

Nico didn’t move and he didn’t say anything. His nose was his business. 

Max left the door open between the rooms and slipped back into bed. At least Nico was safe, that was the important part. 

Nico was up with the first light. He opened the doors as quietly as he could manage and walked out onto the dock. He felt miserable. More than just tired from little to no sleep on the couch, he was sad. And alone. Life with Max had been good and he’d been happy with their routine. His growing attraction to the other man had been his secret, a secret he thought he would be able to share when Max kissed him. His rejection had hurt him and Nico felt more alone now than when he was in New York after his uncle was killed. 

He stared at the water, trying not to think about what he was supposed to do now. 

When Max got up he found Nico gone again, but this time it was light out and he wasn’t as worried. Figuring that he was probably out on the dock, Max fixed the coffee and carried two mugs when he went looking for him. 

“Good morning,” he said, holding one out when he reached the end of the dock where Nico sat perched on the bench. 

Nico took the coffee with a quiet, “Thank you.”

“How’s your neck?” Max asked, sitting down on the other end of the bench.

“It’s all right,” Nico answered without looking at Max, keeping his eyes focused on the water.

“Are we alright?” Max asked, following Nico’s lead and staring at the water. 

“Why’d you kiss me?” Nico asked, still looking straight ahead.

“Because I had a moment of weakness,” Max said, sipping his coffee. 

“What does that mean?” Nico turned to face him. “You wanted to kiss me before but last night you couldn’t resist?” 

Max stayed silent for a long time but decided he had nothing to gain from trying to lie. “Yes,” he said truthfully. 

“I wanted you to kiss me,” Nico told him. 

“I know.” Max said, eyes still resolutely on the water. “And that’s a problem.” 

“Because I’m seventeen.” It wasn’t a question; Nico was making a statement.

Max nodded. “Well it’s more that you are seventeen and I’m thirty-seven, but yes.” 

“So I’m too young to know what I want.” Nico shook his head. “That is all kinds of wrong, Max, and you know it. We talked about this. Remember?”

“I know,” Max said, his voice so low and quiet it was hard to hear him over the water lapping against the dock. 

“You want me to go find some college guy instead?” Nico pushed. 

“No. You already told me that wasn’t what you wanted.” 

“I don’t. I don’t want you to find someone else just because they’re older than me either. Not if it’s me you really want.” Nico looked down at the mug in his hand. “Is it me, Max?” 

Max nodded but then realized Nico wasn’t looking at him. “It is,” he admitted. “It shouldn’t be, but it is.” 

Nico closed his eyes and slowly nodded. “It should be. Because you’re the one I want, too.”

Max looked over, and took advantage of the fact that Nico’s eyes were closed to study him for a moment. “Are you sure? Because if we do this, and then change our minds or find it isn’t what we thought, there’s no going back to what we had before.” 

Nico opened his eyes and turned to look at Max. “I’m sure,” he said sincerely. “And I think there’s no going back already.” 

“Not unless you plan to stay on the couch permanently,” Max said, daring to smile softly at Nico. 

“Not a chance,” Nico replied with a smile of his own.

“Stubborn boy,” Max laughed with a shake of his head. 

“I’ve been called worse.” Nico leaned to nudge Max’s shoulder with his.

“And no more disappearing late at night. That scared me.” 

“I didn’t go far. I sat out here for most of the time. But you’re right, I won’t do it again,” Nico said. 

It was Max’s turn to lean in and nudge Nico with his shoulder. “Good. Wouldn’t want the sharks to get you.” 

“Awww, no fair making fun of the stupid New Yorker,” Nico said with a roll of his eyes.

“Last time, I promise,” Max grinned. 

“It was kinda funny,” Nico admitted. “But don’t tell everybody.” 

“Your secret is safe with me,” Max promised. 

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Nico brushed his teeth three times. He pushed at his hair as he looked at himself in the mirror. They were going to bed and it was going to be dark he told himself as he lowered his hand. It was the first time they were going to be in the bed together after their talk and he was nervous. He didn’t know what to expect and he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do, but Nico was eager to learn and more than anxious for Max to teach him. 

He turned off the light above the sink and crawled into bed. Max was still in the other room so Nico left a lamp on for him. He took a deep breath and tried to relax. 

Max finished up in the kitchen, putting away the last of the dishes that they’d left in the drainer to dry. Old habits stuck with him and he didn’t like going to bed without the kitchen set to rights. He prepped the coffee pot so it was all ready to just turn on in the morning, checked to be sure the door was locked, and then headed to the bedroom to get ready for bed. 

Nico had been watching the door and he sat up in bed when Max came into the room. He stared at him, eyes wide.

Max went to the sink to brush his teeth and then caught sight of Nico sitting up in bed. “Everything ok?” he asked, his words mumbled around his toothbrush. 

“Yes,” Nico nodded. “I already brushed my teeth,” he added.

“Okay,” Max said, turning back to the sink to spit. He rinsed his mouth and then dabbed on a little lotion where a bit of a sunburn was beginning to peel. “Want the light off?” he asked as he paused before getting in bed. 

“Uh… I don’t know. Do you want the light off?” Nico asked.

“Well I don’t want to sleep with it on,” Max said, wondering why Nico was acting so odd. “So unless you need it for something…” 

“Oh. No. I don’t need it,” Nico answered. He was so uncertain and nervous, searching for hidden meaning in everything as his anticipation heightened.

Max cranked the knob on the lamp and sent the room into darkness. He slid between the sheets and laid on his side facing Nico. After their conversation that morning the day had seemed perfectly normal, it was easy to forget what had transpired just hours before. “I’m glad you aren’t on the couch tonight,” he said. 

“Me, too,” Nico said too quickly. He took another deep breath, exhaling slowly. “I’m sorry about last night. I know I was being a brat and I know you were worried,” Nico said softly.

“I know it’s not my place to tell you what you can and can’t do. But that doesn’t mean I don’t worry when I don’t know where you are,” Max admitted. 

“You were looking out for me, I get that. You’ve been doing that since… well, you know.” Nico looked down at his hands where they fidgeted with the edge of the sheet. “I wanted you to see me as something other than the kid you’re helping out.”

“So just don’t do that again, okay?” Max asked, reaching out and winding his arm around Nico’s waist. 

“I won’t,” Nico promised breathlessly despite the distraction of Max’s touch. 

“I get that you probably need some space. So it’s not that you have to stay here all the time. Just keep me in the loop, yeah?”

“I will. I wouldn’t leave or anything.” Nico placed his hand on Max’s arm, his skin warm beneath his touch. 

“I know. I just worry sometimes that someone is going to come looking for you. And I can’t keep you safe if I don’t know where you are,” Max said softly.

Nico nodded. “You know where I am now,” he said with a slight smile. 

Max smiled, even though in the dark he knew Nico couldn’t see. “I do. You’re here with me in my cwtch.” 

“Your… what?” Nico asked softly.

“Cwtch,” Max said again with a laugh, knowing that wasn’t going to solve Nico’s confusion. 

“What is a cwtch? Nico smiled when Max laughed. 

Max pulled Nico in tighter. “It’s a Welsh word. There’s not an exact translation in English but basically it means a safe place. Like an embrace from a loved one, or a place from your childhood.” 

“Cwtch.” Nico repeated the word as Max held him. 

“We have to work on the accent, but close,” Max said, his voice soft now that their faces were only inches apart. 

Nico was mesmerized by their closeness, the tenderness in Max’s tone made him feel as warm as the strong arms around him. 

Max had been careful not to change the way he’d acted around Nico throughout the day, not wanting him to be uncomfortable or raise any questions from their neighbors, but now in the dark he could do what he’d wanted to do all day. He leaned in just the fraction of an inch he needed to press their lips together. 

Closing his eyes, Nico concentrated on the way Max’s lips felt against his. He returned the gentle kiss as he moved closer. 

Max shifted his top leg forward, nudging it between Nico’s legs. He hooked his right hand behind Nico’s knee and pulled it up so they could both shift forward and be pressed together from head to hip. 

Nico reacted with a sudden intake of breath, a soft gasp against Max’s lips still pressed against his. He’d never been this close to Max and he still couldn’t believe that he was allowed to touch the other man this way. 

Breaking the kiss so they could catch their breath, Max rubbed his hand against Nico’s back. “We’ll take it slow, okay? I don’t want to push you.” 

“Okay,” Nico replied, his voice a soft rasp. “And you’ll tell me if I do something wrong?” he added.

“There’s no wrong or right,” Max promised. “It’s not a test,” he said, nipping at Nico’s bottom lip. 

Nico murmured his approval, chasing Max’s kiss. “Then tell me if I do something you like. So I can do it again.” 

“Same goes for you. I wanted to learn everything about you,” Max said before giving in and kissing Nico again. 

Nico was a bundle of sensation. He pressed impossibly closer to Max, rubbing his body against his as their kiss deepened and became more intimate.

Max could feel the urgent tension in Nico’s body and he purposefully slowed things down. He backed off the kiss until their lips were just touching lightly, almost just teasing the contact.

Breathless and thrumming with desire, Nico opened his eyes. It took a moment to adjust to the dark room again. “You’re a really good kisser,” he told Max.

Laughing softly, Max gave Nico a squeeze. “Thanks, but you have an awfully small sample size to draw on.” 

“Doesn’t matter,” Nico said with a slight smile. “I don’t need to eat a 100 kinds of stuffed artichokes to know I like yours.” 

“Point taken,” Max said. Taking advantage of the small space between them while they weren’t kissing, Max shifted his hand from Nico’s back to his chest. “You’re pretty good yourself,” he whispered as he leaned in again and let his hand slip lower. 

“Thanks.” Nico’s voice hitched when Max’s hand began to explore. 

“Turn your brain off,” Max said softly. ‘“I can practically hear you thinking from here.” He kissed Nico again, dividing his focus. 

Nico started to say something in response then let it go quickly when Max began to kiss him again. He liked the soft press of his lips against his and the gentle scrape of his teeth when he nipped at his lip. 

Max kept up the kiss even as his hand found Nico’s cock. He gently stroked him through the fabric of his briefs, keeping the touch light and steady. 

Letting out a muffled moan, Nico’s mind exploded again despite Max’s order to turn it off. 

The moan made Max smile into the kiss. It was exciting being with someone so responsive, and he increased the pressure of his hand to create more friction. 

Nico’s hips jerked as he pressed into Max’s touch, chasing the stimulation. 

“You like that?” Max murmured against Nico’s lips. 

“Yes,” was Nico’s breathless answer, his hand tightening on Max’s arm. 

Max was frustrated by the angle, his hand already getting tired from being bent down between them. “Roll over,” he said, shifting his weight back to slide out from under Nico’s leg. 

Nico’s motion was slow and jerky as he rolled onto his other side, the blood in his body rushing to parts other than his brain. 

Once Nico settled, Max moved up behind him. “Much better,” he murmured, kissing Nico’s neck. 

Nico tilted his head to give Max full access to his neck. Max’s body was warm and solid pressed against his back. 

Tugging down Nico’s underwear, Max returned to his earlier activity, this time skin against skin. 

“Oh…” Nico moaned in wonder. Max’s hand was strong and steady as he stroked his cock. 

Max continued to kiss Nico’s neck, moving up to nuzzle behind his ear. “Good?” he asked softly, even though Nico’s moans were telling the story. 

“So good,” Nico whimpered in response. No one had ever touched him like this and he was amazed with just how good it was.

“Turn your head,” Max urged, wanting Nico’s lips again even though they’d changed positions. 

Nico did as he was told, turned his head toward Max. His eyes were lidded in pure pleasure and his lips were parted in anticipation. 

Max wished there was more light in the room. The tiny bit of moonlight seeping through the window gave him a glimpse of Nico’s features but he craved more. Capturing him in another kiss, he moved his hand faster, urged on by Nico’s moans. 

Drowning in sensation, Nico’s groan was muffled in their kiss. His body tensed then shuddered in Max’s embrace as he came undone. 

Max didn’t break the kiss until Nico was spent. He eased him down gently, slowing his hand gradually and finally stopping. 

Nico was breathless and spent. “That was… amazing,” he murmured.

“Good,” Max said, smiling as he gave Nico another quick kiss. “New experiences should definitely be amazing.” 

“That was better than when I do it,” Nico said, too far gone to be embarrassed by the confession.

Max laughed softly. “I don’t know about that. Next time I’ll make you show me how you like it so I can be sure to do it right.” 

“What about you?” Nico asked softly. “Can I do that to you?”

“If you want to,” Max said, looking Nico in the eye. “But I didn’t do it with any expectation of getting something in return.

“I want to,” Nico said, eager for the opportunity to touch Max with the same intimacy.

“Okay,” Max said, releasing Nico from his arms. 

Nico turned to face Max again, pulling up his briefs shyly. He stared at Max as he reached for the waistband of his briefs and slowly pulled them down over Max’s cock. Nico was glad to see that the other man was aroused. He wrapped his fingers around Max’s erection and began to stroke. 

Max rolled onto his back and pushed a pillow up under his neck. Nico’s touch was soft and tentative, and Max was determined to give him the time he needed to explore. 

“Can I just…” Nico asked as he crawled over to the other side and switched hands. “Left-handed,” he explained as he resumed his strokes. Max’s cock was longer and thicker than his and Nico liked the feeling of it in his hand. 

“Whatever works,” Max said, not caring if Nico stood on his head as long as he didn’t stop. 

Nico bit his lip in concentration, wanting to make this as good for Max as he had made it for him. He tried to mimic the technique Max has used on him, keeping his touch light as his strokes grew faster. 

Max lifted his hips, pushing into Nico’s hard as he chased just a little bit more pressure. He moaned softly when Nico responded by tightening his hand. 

Laying his other hand on Max’s thigh, Nico leaned in, the motion of his hand blurring as he worked Max’s cock. 

“Close,” Max whispered, closing his eyes and tilting his head back. 

Nico stroked faster. He wanted to give Max pleasure; he needed to share this with him.

Arching up off the bed, Max’s pleasure spilled out over Nico’s hand. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d come from a handjob, but giving that experience to Nico for the first time made it more exciting than anything he’d done before.   
Nico kept stroking, Max’s release slicking his grip as he continued with wonder. He’d never experienced another man’s orgasm, let alone one he contributed to.

Max reached down and stilled Nico’s hand as the sensation because too much. “That was amazing,” he said, knowing Nico would like knowing he’d done well. 

“Yeah,” Nico agreed, nodding in the darkness. “Can I kiss you again?” he asked softly.

“Any time,” Max said, pushing up on his elbows to meet Nico halfway. 

Nico leaned in, pressing his lips to Max’s. He lifted his hand as if to touch Max then remembered. “We made a bit of a mess,” Nico said when they parted again.

“Let me get you cleaned up,” Max said, kissing Nico again and then sliding out of the bed to fetch a wet washcloth. “You’ll have to scoot over on my side so you don’t have to lay in the wet spot,” he teased. 

Holding out his hand to Max when he returned, Nico looked up at him. Even though the room was dark, he could make out Max’s face. “That was... “ He hesitated, struggling for the words to explain to Max how he felt. 

“It was,” Max agreed with a smile. He cleaned Nico’s hand and then took care of his stomach and cock before handing the cloth over to Nico. 

Nico took the cloth and wiped at his own stomach, realizing he’d made a mess of his briefs when he’d pulled them back up. “I should probably change,” he said as he stood up, leaning in for one more kiss before he walked away to change his underwear. 

Just leave them off,” Max said, shedding his as well and tossing them in the laundry basket before climbing back into bed. 

“Okay…” Nico slipped off his briefs and threw them into the basket with Max’s before rejoining him in bed. 

Max made sure there was plenty of room for Nico on his side of the bed. “Nice and relaxed or all keyed up and won’t be able to sleep?” Max asked as they settled in. 

“Just… happy,” Nico replied as he cuddled closer to Max. 

“Good. Just the way we like it,” Max said, letting Nico into his arms. 

“Remember when you asked me about being gay?” Nico asked. “Yeah. Well, there’s no doubt. Because I can’t wait to do that again. With you.”

Max couldn’t help but laugh. “Well I’m not seventeen like you are, so that will have to wait.” 

“Okay. Just sayin’,” Nico grinned.

“Good to know though,” Max said, yawning through the last of the words. 

Nico followed Max’s example and yawned, too. 

“We have nothing but time to do that again and more.” Max closed his eyes and pulled Nico in tighter. 

“Good to know,” Nico repeated Max’s words before dropping a kiss on chest.


	6. Chapter 6

Max managed to get all the shopping bags carried in from the car in one trip, a feat he was particularly proud of since he’d left Nico lounging by the pool while he ran to the store. “Get the door for me?” he asked as he passed Nico’s lounge chair, not sure he could work the latch without losing at least a little of his cargo. 

“Sure,” Nico replied, scrambling to get up and hold the screen door open for Max. “Want me to carry one?” he offered.

“I don’t think I can let go of any of the individually at the moment,” Max said, stepping onto the lanai and then waiting for Nico to open the sliding door. “But you can stick around and help me put stuff away if you want.” 

Nico pulled back the sliding glass door while trying to stay out of Max’s way. He followed him inside, closing the sliding glass door behind him. “You must be planning to cook something special,” Nico commented as he looked at the grocery bags that Max was setting down on the table.

“They had some really good sales. I stocked up.” Max set the bags on the table and started extricating his fingers from the loops of plastic. “But yes, I was thinking about grilling some steaks tonight.” 

“Really? Awesome,” Nico smiled. “Are you going to use the grill outside?” he asked as he started to help put the groceries away.

“Yes. I saw someone using it the other day so I’m assuming it’s in good working order. I thought I’d marinate some vegetables in a foil packet at the same time. Just take care of it all on the grill.”   
“What kind of vegetables?” Nico asked as he started searching in other bags. He was hoping for zucchini instead of broccoli. 

Max opened the fridge and started transferring the cold items over from the counter. “Asparagus, squash, zucchini, and some red potatoes.” 

“Yes!” Nico said with an enthusiastic endorsement of Max’s selection of vegetables. He reached into the bag and pulled out a small bottle. “What’s this?” Nico asked before he read the label. His face flushing when he discovered it was a bottle of lube. “Uh… nevermind. I know what it is,” he said bashfully.

Max wasn’t sure he’d ever seen Nico’s face turn quite that shade of red. He reached in and grabbed the condoms and held them out. “Why don’t you put those in the bedroom,” he said, without further comment. 

“Okay,” Nico said, a shy smile on his face as he left to put the two items in the bedroom. His mind began to run wild with thoughts and fantasies of how the items will be used by him and Max. He stood in the bedroom for a moment, debating the best place for the condoms and lube. Top drawer, bedside table was the final decision. Nico returned to the kitchen to help Max finish with the last of the groceries.

“Your face is still red,” Max said softly, nudging Nico’s shoulder as they worked.

“I wasn’t expecting it,” Nico replied. “But I’m glad you thought of it,” he continued, nudging Max in return.

Max kissed the top of Nico’s head and then gathered up the empty bags. “I know we aren’t there yet, but I didn’t want to hit a point where we wanted them and didn’t have them.” 

“Good thinking,” Nico smiled, soaking up Max’s easy affection. “It’s cool it’s like this. With me and you. You know, where we talk about it and stuff.”

“If you are mature enough to do it, you should be mature enough to talk about it, right?” Max leaned back against the counter, resting now that everything was put away.

“Yeah. But it’s not like that with guys my age. Nobody wants to admit that they don’t know what they’re doing so they just try to front,” Nico explained. 

“To front?” Max winced. “I really am too old for you, I don’t even understand your slang.” 

Nico shook his head and smiled as he moved to stand in front of Max, leaning in closer. “To pretend so they don’t look stupid,” he clarified. 

“Ah. Put up a front. I get it,” Max said, sliding his arms around Nico’s waist. 

“See, I don’t have to front with you. You get it,” Nico said.

Max laughed. “I think we’re both past that. We’ve seen too much of each other to bother...fronting.” 

“And you already know that I don’t know what I’m doing. When it comes to sex, I mean. So it’s all good.” Nico leaned up to give Max a kiss.

Max met the kiss with a smile on his lips. “I have a feeling you’ll be a quick study,” he murmured. 

“Because I have the best teaching me,” Nico whispered against Max’s lips.

“If you say so,” Max said, enjoying the way their bodies just seemed to fit together like this. 

Nico’s body reacted immediately to being close to Max. “Is it time for another lesson?” he asked as he looked up at Max, his dark eyes hopeful.

“I hadn’t planned on it, but it is _very_ hard to say no to you,” Max said. Nico’s eyes were his kryptonite, he couldn’t look away. 

“It is hard. Very hard,” Nico agreed, holding Max’s gaze as he moved as close as possible. 

Max shook his head. “That’s a terrible pun.” 

Nico grinned unapologetically. “But not a lie,” he said as he took Max’s hand and carefully guided it to his erection straining behind the zipper of his surfer shorts. 

Squeezing the bulge in Nico’s shorts, Max agreed. “Definitely the truth.” 

Nico inhaled sharply when Max touched him, swaying toward him. “I want to touch you, too.”

“I’d like that,” Max said softly. “You want to go first?”

Nico nodded. “Can we go to the bed?” 

“Sure,” Max said, reluctantly releasing Nico. He stopped to close the curtain on the sliding door before joining Nico in the bedroom. 

Nico was stripping off his shirt when Max joined him in the bedroom. He tossed the shirt on the dresser and unzipped his shorts, his eyes never leaving Max. 

Max came to a halt and just let his eyes rake up and down Nico’s body as it was revealed. “Don’t stop there” he said when Nico hesitated. 

Laying his shorts on the dresser with his shirt, Nico’s hands hovered at the waistband of his briefs as he looked back at Max. He slowly pushed down one side, revealing his hip. Nico smiled as he turned and pulled down the other side of his underwear, his eager cock springing free.

“Tease,” Max smiled. He stripped off his own shirt and then dropped his shorts, folding them both and setting them on the dresser. 

“I’m not a tease,” Nico protested. “I totally plan to put out,” he grinned.

Max couldn’t help but laugh at the logic. “Frankly I’m just surprised that your blush from earlier didn’t spread to your whole body by now.” 

“You just surprised me, is all.” It was Nico’s turn to move closer, gesturing toward Max’s underwear. “Your turn.”

Hooking his thumbs in the elastic of his briefs, Max shimmied the fabric down and stepped out of them. “I like surprising you.” 

“I like it, too.” Nico moved closer, wrapping his arms around Max’s neck to kiss him. He sighed softly into the kiss as their naked bodies aligned.

Max liked how comfortable and even… bold Nico was after such a short time together. It wasn’t what he’d expected from him at all, but it was turning out to be a very good thing. 

Nico pulled back, lips pink from their kisses. He looked at Max as he wrapped his hand around Max’s cock. “I like the way you feel in my hand.”

“Yeah?” Max asked, his hips involuntarily rocking forward just enough for his cock to slide against Nico’s fingers. “I like the way your hand feels on me.” 

“Let’s get on the bed,” Nico said as he took a step back without releasing his hold on Max’s cock. 

Max moved with him, letting Nico settle them how he wanted on the bed. 

Nico sat next to Max on the bed, slowly stroking his cock. He watched Max closely for every nuance in his expression. 

Max wasn’t used to being studied so closely, but he knew Nico was trying to learn what he liked. He made sure to direct him through his reactions, being completely open about what he liked. 

Making sure his grip wasn’t too tight, Nico kept his strokes long and easy. He’d wanted to touch Max like this again since their first time, eager to experience his arousal. 

Max reached over and ran his finger up the length of Nico’s cock, smiling at how hard he was already even without any kind of contact. “Seems cruel to make you wait,” he said, curling his fingers around his shaft. 

Nico moaned as Max touched him. His hand slowed on Max’s cock, distracted by what he was doing to his. 

Releasing Nico’s cock, Max urged him to lie down on his side. He knew it would be too much for Nico to focus on both actions so he took the lead, laying down facing him so their bodies aligned. He wrapped his hand around both their cocks, stroking lightly as they adjusted to the new sensation. 

Watching with wide eyes as Max rubbed their cocks together in the circle of his strong hand, Nico was amazed by how good it felt to be touched this way. 

Max enjoyed the fact that is was daylight and he could watch Nico’s expressions. He experimented with his touch, watching as Nico’s face changed.

“Max…” Nico whispered, his voice shaky with his warning. “I’m gonna come.”

Relaxing his hand, Max backed off a little. He leaned in and captured Nico’s lips in a kiss, hoping he could distract him. 

Nico whimpered in protest, but he was quickly distracted by Max’s kiss. He returned the kiss eagerly, always glad for the opportunity to kiss Max. 

Max slowly started moving his hand again without breaking the kiss. He remembered what it was like to be seventeen, but he hoped he could keep Nico going for just a little longer. 

Breaking the kiss, Nico pressed his cheek against Max’s, his breath ragged next to his ear. His hips jerked in reaction to each stroke of Max’s hand.

The sounds Nico was making were music to his ears, and Max shifted his hips in time with the movement of his hand. He wasn’t as close as Nico was, but he knew it wouldn’t take long once his lover had let go. 

Nico buried his face against Max’s shoulder, muffling his cry of pleasure as he came. 

Max made sure he didn’t stop touching Nico abruptly, easing him down from his high before he shifted his fingers to just his own cock, fisting and pumping until he shuddered and came. 

Looking down between them, Nico slowly smiled then lifted his gaze back up to meet Max’s. “That was so hot,” he rasped.

Max leaned in and kissed him. “Just wait, it gets better,” he murmured against Nico’s lips. 

Nico smiled as he returned the kiss. “Yeah? Because that was really good. Like great.”

“Trust me, you have a lot to look forward to” Max promised. 

“And I am. Looking forward to it. A lot,” Nico replied. 

“Good,” Max said, smiling as he kissed him again. “Now I should let you get back to your lounge chair. I rudely interrupted your sun time earlier.” 

“I’d rather hang out with you,” Nico told him. “I can help you get stuff ready. Be your sea chef.”

It took Max a minute to figure out what Nico meant. “You can be my sous chef later. Let’s hit the pool before dinner.”

“Now you’re talkin’,” Nico grinned, leaning in for one more kiss before rolling over and hopping off the bed.

Max shook his head at Nico’s boundless energy. “Make sure you put your trunks back on or you’ll scare the neighbors,” he laughed. 

“No naked swimming for you either. I have dibs on displaying the merchandise,” Nico teased.

“We could probably skinny dip in the night. Everyone around here is in bed pretty early,” Max said, pretending to think it over. 

“Yeah we could,” Nico said enthusiastically.

“It was a joke,” Max said, finally propelling himself off the bed. He kissed Nico’s cheek and then headed to the sink to clean up. 

“I thought it was a good idea,” Nico said as followed Max to the sink. “Is No Skinny Dipping on that list of rules posted by the pool?”

“I think that might just be an unwritten rule,” Max said, running a washcloth under the warm water. 

“Well, we don’t always follow the rules.” Nico smiled to himself.

“Good point.” Max finished cleaning up and then grabbed a dry set of swim trunks from the drawer. 

Nico cleaned up then pulled on his swimming trunks. “One more kiss before we go out?” he asked Max.

“How could I possibly say no to that?” Max said, giving it his proper attention and pulling Nico into his arms. 

“You can’t,” Nico whispered, tilting his head back in anticipation.

“You know me too well,” Max said, giving Nico all he’d asked for and more. 

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Nico rinsed the plate and stacked it in the drying rack. He was humming a tune, a song he’d heard earlier in the day, pausing when he tried to rub his itchy nose despite being up to his elbows in soapy water. 

Max finished wiping down the table and then pushed all the chairs back into place. With such a tiny kitchen there really wasn’t any room to move without bumping into one another and he managed to knock into Nico’s hip as he tried to pass by. He looked up to apologize and couldn’t help but laugh at the bit of soap bubbles on Nico’s face. 

“Wha?” Nico murmured with a smile.

Max reached out and brushed the bubbles away. “You had a little…” he said, gesturing with his hand. “All better now.” 

“Oh, thanks,” Nico said before he turned his attention back to the dishes in the sink. He liked washing dishes. And it was the least he could do since Max had made them another wonderful meal for supper. 

The tiny kitchen also meant there was only a tiny dish drainer and it was already becoming a teetering tower of clean dishes so Max grabbed a towel and started to dry while Nico washed. It also gave him an excuse to stay close enough to keep in physical contact with him. 

Nico resumed the soft humming as he fell into the easy rhythm of washing the plates and glasses while Max was on drying duty.

“I really need to learn to cut down on how many dishes I manage to dirty when I cook,” Max said, reaching up past Nico to put the plates away. 

“The food you make is totally worth it,” Nico told him as he rinsed another plate.

“Worth slaving over the sink after dinner?” Max asked, looking over at him. 

Nico smiled again and nodded his head.

Max couldn’t resist, Nico’s smile was just too much for him and he leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You are sweet to say that.” 

Looking at the glass in his hand, Nico’s smile widened as his cheeks flushed from Max’s kiss.

“You’re cute when you blush,” Max murmured before he straightened back up. 

Unused to compliments of any kind, Nico was caught off guard with Max’s soft words. He turned his head to look at Max, his smile shifting to tender.

“What?” Max said, pushing his towel into a glass to dry the inside. “You are!”

“Okay,” Nico said with a soft laugh and a shrug of his shoulder.

Max waited until Nico plunged his hands back into the water and then stepped around behind him. He slid his hands around Nico’s waist and then started to kiss his neck. “I like your neck too,” he said softly. “I stare at it sometimes when you aren’t looking.” 

Nico inhaled with a soft gasp, going still in the circle of Max’s arms. He tilted his head in wordless invitation for more.

That gasp and shift in Nico’s posture was like catnip for Max. He couldn’t resist it and couldn’t get enough of it. 

Lost in the feeling of Max’s lips against his skin, Nico closed his eyes, his body swaying ever so slightly.

Max kissed a trail down Nico’s neck until he reached the junction with his shoulder and he sucked on the tender skin there. He smiled when he was rewarded with another moan. 

The soft suction on his skin sent a jolt through Nico, igniting the slow-burning desire that was always there between them, just below the surface. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Max saw the plate that Nico still clutched in his soapy hand start to wobble. He grabbed it away just in time, letting it float back down into the water as he turned Nico around so he could kiss him properly. 

The dishes forgotten, the only thing filling Nico’s thoughts was the way Max’s lips felt against his. Water dripped down his arms as he moved closer to Max.

Max worked his hand up under the back of Nico’s shirt, finding his skin still warm from all the sun earlier in the day. Nico was so responsive to his touch that Max was powerless to resist. 

Nico reached up, winding his arms around Max’s neck, his body pressing against him as their kiss progressed.

As good as the kiss was, Max needed more. He’d been trying so hard not to push Nico but that just meant he’d had too much pent up desire. Without breaking his hold on the younger man he walked them toward the bedroom, still kissing and touching with every step. 

Moving easily with Max, Nico didn’t realize they were in the bedroom until Max sat on the edge of the bed. He stared down at him, his dark eyes expectant and his lips swollen from their kisses.

Max looked up at Nico, just taking in how debauched he looked just from a kiss. He was so innocent that Max felt a little bad about it, but not bad enough to stop what was already in motion. Sitting on the edge of the bed put him at the perfect height to reach out and tug down Nico’s shorts. 

Nico lifted his arm and placed his hand on Max’s shoulder to balance himself as he stepped out of his shorts pooled around his ankles. His gaze never moved from Max’s face.

Pushing Nico’s underwear down as well, Max waited for Nico to finish moving before he grasped his hips and pulled him closer. 

Gasping again as Max handled him, Nico’s heart was pounding so loudly in his chest, he was certain that Max could hear it, too. 

Max wrapped his fingers around Nico’s cock and started to stroke it slowly. He gazed up at Nico, his eyes never leaving his face both so he could see the pleasure that was so plainly written there and to be sure that Nico was okay with what was happening. 

Nico slowly scraped his teeth over his bottom lip, his eyes lidded with pleasure as Max touched him. 

Pulling Nico just those last few inches closer, Max replaced his hand with his lips. He steadied Nico’s hips with his hands, not sure how he would react. 

A soft whimper of pleasure and surprise spilled from Nico’s lips as his cock was enveloped in the warm, wet friction of Max’s mouth.

Max checked in with Nico one last time before closing his eyes and focusing on the pleasure he derived from the taste and scent and feel of Nico’s cock. He went slow at first, savoring the experience. 

Nico was overwhelmed with the sensation. He placed his other hand on Max’s opposite shoulder, bracing himself as Max slowly sucked him. 

Relaxing his throat, Max started to move with more purpose, his lips sliding up and down the entire length of Nico’s shaft. 

Speechless from the sensual onslaught, the only sound from Nico was the soft pant of his breath between his parted lips. 

Max was determined to make Nico fall apart, and he put all his effort into bringing Nico as much pleasure as he could. He moved with the sway of Nico’s hips, taking him deeper with each bob of his head. 

Nico’s hands gripped Max’s shoulders tighter as he bent over him. “Max…” he whimpered in warning, close to exploding in pleasure.

Max didn’t bother to respond, knowing he could send Nico over the edge just with his actions. He flicked his tongue against the head of Nico’s cock, diving in and out of the leaking slit before taking him deep again. 

His body shaking with need, Nico cried out as he came. He held onto Max tightly for support as his legs threatened to give way beneath him. 

Max didn’t let up until he was sure Nico was well and truly spent. Nico filled all of his senses and Max drank it all in. When he was done he sat back just enough to look up. He was rewarded with a completely blissed out expression on Nico’s face. 

“Wow,” Nico said softly as he stared down at Max, his body swaying toward him. 

Smiling, Max helped Nico onto the bed and then stretched out beside him. “Good wow?”

“Oh yeah,” Nico replied, softly exhaling the words. “Great wow.”

“Great wow,” Max repeated softly. “That’s high praise.” 

“That was…” Nico struggled for words to describe his enthusiasm. “Like the best thing ever.” 

Max shook his head. “Trust me, that’s still yet to come. This is pretty damn good though.” 

“Mind-blowing,” Nico agreed. He looked at Max, his eyes widening. “Is that why they call it a blow job?”

Unable to control his burst of laughter, Max rolled onto his back for a moment before calming down and moving back up against Nico. “No, I don’t think so.” 

Nico snuggled against Max’s side. “Good guess though, yeah?” he smiled as he slipped an arm around Max’s waist. “Will you teach me how to do that?”

“Of course. And you can practice any time you want,” Max said, even though he knew his young lover would likely wear him out. 

Smiling from ear to ear, Nico tightened his arm around Max with an affectionate squeeze. “Like now?”

“If you’re up for it,” Max said, leaning in for a kiss. “I don’t want to push. I just couldn’t stop myself but I didn’t do it to get something in return.” 

“I know,” Nico said softly. “But I want to,” he added as his hand tentatively moved lower, rubbing over Max’s zipper. 

Max fell silent but squeezed Nico’s arm encouragingly. He watched Nico explore, letting him take his time. 

Nico unbuttoned Max’s shorts and pulled the zipper down. He started to slip his hand beneath the waistband of Max’s briefs then decided he wanted Max to be as naked as he was, at least from the waist down. Nico pulled off Max’s shorts and underwear, dropping them on the floor beside the bed. He took the opportunity to take of his tee shirt, too, and gesturing for Max to do the same. 

Max wriggled out of his shirt and laid it aside. He was determined to let Nico take the lead so he laid back on the bed and watched to see what he’d do next. 

Reaching for Max’s cock, Nico looked up to meet his lover’s gaze as he began to slowly stroke him. He licked his lower lip as he thought of doing to Max what he’d done to him. “You’re bigger than me,” Nico said aloud, sharing that thought.

Max chuckled. “Are you buttering me up?” He watched Nico’s face, enjoying the anticipation there. 

Nico looked at Max again and smiled. “Just wondering, you know? How it fits?” 

“It will fit,” Max promised. “Just go slow and keep your teeth covered. It’s not a race.” 

“Teeth covered,” Nico murmured to himself as he bent his head. He stopped the slow motion of his hand to guide Max’s cock into his mouth, rubbing the head against the flat of his tongue. Max’s flesh was so warm and tasted salty and like he smelled, a little like the soap they used and a scent that was uniquely his. 

Max held his breath as Nico started so tentatively. “Feels good,” he said softly, encouraging him. 

Nico moved slowly as he sucked Max’s cock, fiercely concentrating on Max’s advice while trying to recall the things that Max had done to him that he’d liked. He pulled back, letting him slip from his mouth as he stroked him with his hand. Nico licked him then rubbed his full lips along the length of Max’s cock before taking him into his mouth again.

Sighing with pleasure, Max relaxed back against the pillows. Nico was proving to be a quick study, already infinitely better than some of the fumbled blow jobs he remembered from his youth. 

Trying to take more of Max in with each pass, Nico sputtered when it became too much. He released Max’s cock and choked back a cough. “Sorry… sorry,” he rasped. 

Max sat up immediately, touching Nico’s shoulder as he tried to recover. “It’s ok,” he said. “Like I said, take it slow.” He dropped his hand down to lazily stroke his cock, needing that bit of stimulation as they talked. “It takes practice to get it just right.” 

Nico nodded, his face flushed as he took over again, stroking Max slowly before he put his mouth on him again. This time he didn’t focus on how deep he could take him Nico let himself enjoy how Max’s cock felt in his mouth, the way he throbbed against his tongue.

“Perfect,” Max said softly, pulling his hand away to let Nico take over. “That feels so good.” 

Continuing the easy pace, Nico experimented with his tongue, curving it or using the end of it to tease an area he knew was sensitive. 

Max rewarded NIco’s effort with a moan, doing everything he could to keep his hips still. 

Nico began to move faster and increase the friction, innately knowing Max needed more. 

The more Nico worked, his enthusiasm and pleasure plainly evident despite his lack of technique, the harder Max found it to hold back. He started to move in time with Nico, being as careful as he could not to thrust up into his mouth. 

Max’s taste changed, his pre-cum mixing with NIco’s saliva as he continued to suck him. He focused on breathing through his nose and not interrupting his steady pace. 

Max groaned, knowing he needed to make a quick decision as Nico pushed him hard toward completion. He leaned down and gently pushed Nico back, taking his cock into his own hand and finishing off with a few quick hard jerks. 

Nico watched Max as he climaxed, enthralled with the way Max looked immersed in pleasure. 

Still curled forward, Max struggled to regain his composure. Nico’s lips were swollen and red, still shiny with moisture, and Max thought it might be the hottest things he’d ever seen. 

Leaning closer, Nico rested his hand on Max’s arm. He wanted to be sure everything was all right. “Max?” The question was a soft rasp as Nico pressed his face against Max’s shoulder.

Max didn’t answer with words, he answered by reaching for Nico and kissing him hard, pouring his emotions out via their connection. 

Initially surprised, Nico soon relaxed into the kiss, taking everything Max was giving him. He wrapped his arm around Max’s neck, his fingers sliding into his soft, dark hair as their kiss continued. 

“You’re gonna kill me one of these days,” Max murmured into the kiss. 

“It wasn’t _that_ bad,” Nico replied, smiling against Max’s lips. 

“Kill in a good way. A most excellent way,” Max corrected, grinning back. 

“So not too bad for the first time out of the gate?” Nico asked, smiling as he traced Max’s grin with his finger. He liked seeing Max like this, smiling. Happy.

“You’re a natural,” Max said. “Every time I think we are moving too fast you continue to surprise me.” 

Nico smiled softly, staring into Max’s eyes. He wanted to tell him that he was learning because he had the best teacher, but Max seemed like more than that to him. Max felt like a partner, one who cared about him. “I think we’re moving at just the right pace,” Nico said.

“Good,” Max nodded. “And you’ll tell me if we go too fast? Or if something bothers you?”

“Yes, I promise,” Nico nodded. 

“Good,” Max repeated. “I’ll try to stop worrying about it then.” 

“You were worried?” Nico asked as he shifted, settling more comfortably next to Max. 

Max got comfortable as well with Nico pulled in close by his side. “I can’t help but worry that you are pushing yourself because you think I want more.” 

“I’m not. I think I’m the one who wants more. I guess I worry that you think I’m like… well, like I’m using you. For sex,” Nico said quietly. 

“I know that’s not the case,” Max assured him. “Even with how hard you pursued me.” 

“You did take some convincing,” Nico agreed. 

“Hmm, maybe you are pressuring me,” Max laughed. “I hadn’t thought about it that way.” 

“So I guess you can stop worrying then,” Nico said with a smile.

“I’ll try my best,” Max promised, giving him a kiss. 

“Me, too,” Nico whispered before returning Max’s kiss.

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Max took a seat on the bench at the end of the dock. The sun was just setting and there was a steady stream of boats headed for home after day trips out on the gulf. He dug his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, laughing when he saw it was still half full. He hadn’t smoked hardly at all since he’d been here, his stress levels nearly non-existent now that his days were filled with sun, chlorine, and Nico.

A check of his bank balance had sent him out here though, the acid in his stomach back again like it used to be. He wasn’t entirely sure what he’d been planning to do about money when they fled New York… he hadn’t really been thinking about anything at all other than keeping Nico safe. But now it was time to face the music. He fired up a cigarette and stared out at the water, just thinking things through. 

Nico approached quietly, hoping he wasn’t bothering Max. They spent so much time together now, days and nights, and he understood when Max needed time to himself. 

“I forgot that you smoke,” Nico said as he took a seat on the bench with Max.

The sound of Nico’s voice startled Max out of his thoughts. “I don’t do it all that much any more,” he said, his eyes still on the water. “You are good for me.” 

Nico smiled. He liked hearing Max say that. “Just needed a nicotine hit?” Nico asked, gesturing toward the cigarette in Max’s hand. 

“Old habit for dealing with stress,” Max admitted. It wasn’t fair to hide that from Nico even though he wanted to take care of him. 

“Stress,” Nico repeated softly. “What’s going on, Max?” he asked, laying his hand on Max’s thigh.

Max watched the boats go by in silence for a few long seconds. “I know it’s not fair to ask this, but what is our game plan here? I mean we ran away from New York and hid out here and fell…” he stopped abruptly and changed course. “We can’t just pretend things don’t exist forever,” he said softly. 

Max’s choice of words and sudden switch didn’t escape Nico’s notice. He had been attracted to Max for quite a while and his feelings for the older man had only grown deeper. He didn’t know what their future might hold, but he did know he wanted to be with Max. “Do you want to go back to New York?” asked Nico.

“Not particularly,” Max said, not realizing until he said it out loud how true those words were. “You?”

“No,” Nico replied with a shake of his head. “I like it here. But if we can’t stay here then I want to go with you.”

“I’m running out of money,” Max said, staring out at the water. “So that’s definitely something we have to solve.” 

“I can get a job,” Nico said quickly. “Delivery boy, dishwasher. Something.”

Max leaned over and gave Nico a quick kiss on the temple. “I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad. Just pointing out that we’ve been kinda living like we are on vacation. Which is fine for awhile, but it’s not realistic long term.” 

Nico nodded. “I want to earn my keep though.”

“I’m thinking that might be a little problematic,” Max said ruefully. He appreciated Nico’s offer though. 

“Why?” Nico questioned. 

“I’m guessing you didn’t run away with a social security card or birth certificate or anything like that,” Max pointed out. 

“I know my social security number, but I don’t have a card. Or a birth certificate. Can’t you like, request copies of those?” 

“Maybe?” Max shrugged his shoulders. “I’m thinking you’d need some way to prove who you are. I don’t really know though.” His cigarette had burned down to the filter and he stubbed it out. 

“Yeah, I’ll need something to get a driver’s license,” Nico echoed Max’s concerns. “But for a job, there’s always someone willing to pay under the table for some cheap labor. I swept floors and washed dishes at a deli until my uncle made me quit.”

Max nodded, knowing that was probably true of all the kitchens he’d worked in. “So we stay. And try to make it work.” 

“Yeah. If that’s okay with you?” Nico asked softly.

“More than okay,” Max said, nudging their shoulders together. 

“Really?” The relief in Nico’s voice was clear. 

“Really,” Max said, smiling as the band from the restaurant next door started up their first song of the evening set. “Maybe I should check to see if they are hiring.” 

“That would be sweet. No commute time,” Nico grinned.

“Maybe the stars will align for us one more time,” Max said, standing up and stretching. “You ready for dinner?”

“Sure. What are you cooking?” Nico asked as he got to his feet, too.

“I was thinking about breakfast for dinner. Some pancakes and bacon?” Max started up the dock, walking slowly as they talked. 

“That sounds awesome. I love your pancakes.” Nico wanted to slip his hand into Max’s, but he was careful not to show too much physical contact when they were in public.

Max took advantage of navigating through the gate to rest his hand at the small of Nico’s back. “I could cook you a mud pie and you’d say it was great,” he teased. 

“Because it probably would be,” Nico countered. “You’re a really good chef. Why do you think I was at the restaurant so much? Because they always wanted your food.”

“I figured they were just getting it for free,” Max laughed. “But I’ll always take a compliment from you.” 

“I have a confession,” Nico said solemnly as Max opened the squeaky screen door. 

“Should I be worried,” Max said, letting Nico pass by into the condo.

“Not really. I wanted to tell you that your stuffed artichokes are really better than my mom’s. I just didn’t want you to get a big head about it,” Nico said.

Max let the door shut behind them and then stepped up behind Nico and wrapped his arms around his waist. “Thank you,” he whispered in his ear and then kissed his neck. 

Nico laid his arms over Max’s, hugging him in return. “Thank you for wanting me to stay with you,” he whispered.

“Thank you for being the catalyst for this change in my life,” Max said, kissing him again. 

Nico couldn’t imagine his life without Max. He tilted his head as a shiver of arousal ran through him. 

“I should let go of you or we won’t get our dinner,” Max whispered. 

“We could eat later…” Nico offered, reluctant for Max to stop kissing him. 

“Or we could eat now so we have energy for later,” Max said, his hands starting to roam up and down Nico’s belly. 

Nico moaned with Max’s caress. “Pancakes make me sleepy.” 

“Pancakes make you sleep?” Max asked. “That’s a new one.” 

“I get full when I eat pancakes. I get sleepy when I get full,” Nico explained, leaning back against Max. 

“And bacon?” Max couldn’t help but continue down that line of reasoning. “Same problem?” He slipped his hands up under Nico’s shirt, enjoying the warmth of his skin. 

“No… not really…” Nico’s voice trailed off as Max’s hands continued their exploration. 

“So I should feed you bacon, take you to bed, and then pancakes after?” Max smiled. 

“That’s too much trouble,” Nico murmured as he turned in Max’s arms. “Take me to bed now. Pancakes and bacon later.”

“Demanding little thing,” Max teased. “Your wish is my command.”


	7. Chapter 7

Max rolled onto his back and cracked open his eyes, the grey light of dawn just starting to creep through the window. He scooted over so he wouldn’t disturb Nico with his restlessness and then reached up to rub his eyes. He hadn’t slept well, too worried about his job interview later in the day. He’d lucked out and turned up to inquire at just the right time - one of the other line cooks had just given notice. He had a tryout during lunch service today and he really wanted it to go well. 

He’d tried not to let Nico see that he was worried, but he was sure that some of his anxiety would be evident today. 

Nico rolled over, inching closer to Max. “‘s too early to get up yet,” he murmured against Max’s shoulder. 

“It absolutely is,” Max said softly. “Go back to sleep,” he said, letting Nico embrace him. 

“But you’re awake,” Nico replied, his eyes blinking open as he tilted his head to look up at Max. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” Max said, tilting to the side just enough to kiss the top of Nico’s head. “Just can’t sleep.” 

“You’re worried again.” Nico pushed up on one elbow and rubbed his eye as he tried to focus on Max. “Like the other night. Only without the cigarette.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want to set the bed on fire after all,” Max said, trying to laugh it off. “It’s ok, I promise.” 

“As long as you aren’t holding back. Because you think I can’t handle it or something stupid like that…” Nico’s eyes narrowed.

Max shook his head. “Nothing like that,” he promised. “Just thinking about today.” 

“The tryout?” asked Nico.

“I know I can do it in my sleep. Just don’t want to screw it up you know? It’s just the perfect opportunity for us right now.” 

“You’re going to rock their world,” Nico told him. “You’re an awesome chef and if they don’t see it then they don’t deserve you and you’ll find something even better.”

“I’m guessing somewhere like that is looking more for speed rather than the ability to produce fine cuisine,” Max smiled. “But I appreciate the compliment.” 

“I know it’s not your thing, like you can’t make the kind of food you want, but at least it’s some money until you can land something you like better, right?” Nico wrapped an arm around Max’s waist and gave him a squeeze.

“And the commute would be pretty awesome,” Max said, shifting onto his side to face Nico. 

“It’s a busy place, too. So you know it won’t be going out of business any time soon.” Nico ran his hand over Max’s chest. He never passed up the opportunity to touch Max and his lover never gave any indication that he didn’t like the affection. 

“That’s true.” If Max hadn’t already been wide awake, Nico’s touch would have taken him there. 

Nico traced Max’s collar bone before moving lower to his nipple, circling it with the soft pad of his finger. 

“Trying to make me forget?” Max asked softly, watching Nico’s fingers in the dim light. 

“Is it working?” Nico asked as he moved closer. 

“Starting to. I think you should keep at it though.” Max couldn’t resist moving his own hands, stroking them up and down Nico’s back. 

Nico leaned in to brush his lips along Max’s shoulder then down to his nipples, following the path his fingers had just taken. 

Max resisted the urge to push things along, an urge that always surfaced when he was consumed with need for Nico. He let his young love explore at his own pace, even as he ached for more. 

Sliding his leg between Max’s, Nico pressed closer, molding his body against Max. He felt Max’s growing erection against his thigh and he secretly loved that it was him causing that reaction.

“I can never get enough of you,” Max murmured, his hips rocking slightly as he sought out friction against his cock. 

“I feel that way, too,” Nico whispered before kissing Max’s skin again. “I always want to touch you.” 

Max smiled with affection. “You know you can do that any time you want, right?”

“I kinda think I already do,” Nico replied with another kiss. “What do you want to do now? Want me blow you?” he asked softly.

“Yeah,” Max moaned into the kiss. “Let me see those skills you’ve been working on.” 

Nico slid down Max’s body, his fingers hooking in the waistband of his underwear so he could drag them down and pull them off. He positioned himself comfortably between Max’s legs and settled down to give his full attention to Max’s cock. 

This hadn’t been Max’s goal when he woke earlier but he had to admit it was an excellent way to relieve stress. 

Wrapping his fingers around Max’s cock, Nico stroked him before taking him into his mouth. Nico loved sucking Max’s cock. He didn’t know if he was any good at it really; it wasn’t likely that Max would tell him otherwise. Max seemed to like it well enough and it got him off so Nico figured he wasn’t the worst. 

Max moaned softly when the wet heat of Nico’s mouth enveloped him. Nico had proved a quick study and what he lacked in technique he made up for in enthusiasm. 

Nico used every opportunity to learn more about Max and what he liked in bed. Stroking the base of his cock as he sucked then gently massaging his balls when Max was rock hard in his mouth. 

Gently thrusting his hips up off the bed, Max held himself back even though he couldn’t help but move a little. 

Releasing Max’s cock with a soft pop, Nico looked up at him, his full lips glistening with saliva. “I want you to come in my mouth this time,” he said boldly.

Max had to dig his fingernails into the palm of his hands, tightly clenching them into fists to try to stem back the wave of arousal that coursed through him with Nico’s words. “Okay,” he managed to get out in a strangled tone. 

Nico gave a slight nod of his head before taking Max’s cock back into his mouth, licking and sucking him, holding nothing back.

Nico’s pronouncement left Max’s head spinning and he lost all hope of prolonging things. He moaned more wantonly now, letting his body rush toward its inevitable conclusion. 

Max’s cock pulsed against his tongue and Nico tasted his release, swallowing and only coughing slightly at the new sensation. 

Still trembling with the aftershocks of pleasure that still rippled through his frame, Max curled forward to touch Nico’s cheek. “Okay?” he asked. 

Nico nodded and wiped at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah, sorry I coughed.”

“Don’t apologize,” Max said. “You were perfect.” To emphasize his words he pulled Nico up into his arms and kissed him soundly. 

When they parted, Nico smiled, obviously happy he’d pleased Max with his efforts. “I like sucking you,” he confessed, leaning into Max’s hold.

“What do you like about it?” Max asked, their faces still pressed close. 

“The way you feel in my mouth. I can feel you getting hard and it makes me hard, too,” Nico said, his breath mingling with Max’s. 

“I can feel that,” Max said, pressing up tighter against Nico. “And like you, I like knowing I caused that.” 

“I get hard just thinking about you,” Nico whispered. 

“Yeah?” Max worked his hand down between their bodies so he could press against Nico’s length. “And what do you think about me doing to you?” 

“Anything you want.” The words spilled from Nico eagerly; he just needed Max’s hands on him. 

Max groaned, another shiver of pleasure running down his spine. “Don’t say that.” 

“But it’s true… you know it’s true…” Nico kissed Max’s lips, his desire and emotion open to scrutiny.

“It’s not something we can rush in to,” Max murmured, still slowly working Nico’s cock.

“As long as it’s you. It has to be you.” 

“You’re killing me here,” Max groaned, arousal pulsing through him despite having just come. 

“I’m dying, too,” Nico whispered before he kissed him again. 

Max sunk into the kiss, feeling a bit like he was drowning. “Have you ever used your fingers there? While you were getting off?” he whispered softly between kisses. 

“Not really… show me what to do,” Nico replied as he continued to press kisses against Max’s lips.

“If you’re sure,” Max murmured, already moving before Nico had a chance to respond. He put enough space between them to rid Nico of his underwear. He gave his lover’s cock a quick squeeze before he went after the lube they’d stashed away. 

Nico’s cock was hard, curving toward his belly. He laid there, legs open, eager for Max to show him more. 

Max knelt between Nico’s spread legs, and took a moment just to admire him. “You look beautiful like this,” he said, stroking his hand down Nico’s thigh. 

“Because you made me like this.” Nico smiled at Max, reaching out to touch him. 

Max smiled back and then leaned down to kiss Nico’s hip. When he straightened back up he scooted closer and urged Nico’s legs into a bent position. 

Nico allowed Max to maneuver him however he wanted him. His heart was pounding in anticipation and he was anxious to learn about something else to share with his lover. 

Catching Nico’s hand, Max twined their fingers together and used their joined hands to stroke Nico’s length. After a few moments he gently eased his own hand away, nodding at Nico for him to keep going. He coated his fingers with lube and laid the bottle near by before touching Nico lightly, his fingers just brushing across his skin and over his hole. 

Max’s touch was gentle, but it got Nico’s attention immediately. He continued to stroke his cock slowly, not completely distracted by the sensation. 

Max kept an eye on Nico’s face, watching his reactions carefully. He added just a little more lube to his finger and then carefully pressed against the tight knot of muscle at Nico’s entrance.

Nico’s hand slowed on his cock, his focus turning to what Max’s fingers were doing. 

“Keep going,” Max urged, needing Nico to not concentrate too hard on the sensation. When Nico’s hand sped up again he applied just a little pressure. 

Trying not clench around the intimate intrusion, Nico kept following Max’s instruction and slowly worked his cock.

“Keep breathing,” Max reminded, smiling up at Nico. The tip of his finger was barely inside but he started thrusting back and forth in time with Nico’s hand. 

“Okay,” Nico said with a soft gasp. 

“You’re doing so good for me,” Max said, gently starting to turn his finger and stretch Nico’s opening. 

“Feels a little weird,” Nico confessed.

Max nodded. “That’s normal. But if it hurts or you want me to stop just say so, okay?” Max took advantage of the distraction of talking to press a second finger tight against the first.

“It doesn’t hurt,” Nico told him, his muscles clenching reflexively around Max’s fingers as he pushed deeper. 

“Good,” Max said, working his fingers with a bit more force behind them. He was still moving very cautiously, but he could feel Nico responding. 

Nico began to push back against Max’s fingers, taking him deeper. 

“Beautiful,” Max repeated, enthralled by the way Nico moved beneath him. He curled his hand slightly, changing the angle just enough to hit Nico’s prostate with the tips of his fingers. 

“Oh!” Nico gasped again, his body curling from the pleasure. 

“There,” Max said softly, pressing his fingers in the same spot over and over again.” 

Nico forgot about stroking his cock, overwhelmed by the new sensation. His body trembled as he softly whined Max’s name. 

“Let go,” Max whispered, bending forward and slipping the head of Nico’s cock between his lips. 

The dual sensation of Max’s mouth on his cock and his fingers moving inside him was almost more than Nico could endure. He writhed and trembled beneath Max, his hands fisting in the sheets for something to hold onto.

Max sucked more of Nico’s length into his mouth flicking his tongue across the leaking slit as he fucked his fingers in and out of Nico’s hole. He ached for more, but he knew that it wouldn’t be long before Nico was ready.

Nico came with a soft cry, his back arching as he thrust his hips, chasing every bit of the pleasure that Max was giving him. 

Flooded with the scent and taste of Nico’s pleasure, Max kept going until he was sure that Nico was spent, milking every last tremble out of him. 

Gasping softly, Nico lifted his head enough to give Max a tired, but very satisfied smile. “I feel like I just learned the secret of the universe.” 

Max carefully eased his fingers away and crawled up over Nico’s languid body. “It only gets better from here,” he promised. 

Nico curled against Max, craving his closeness. “But in the meantime, that was more than awesome.”

“I think we can safely say you’re a bottom,” Max teased, basking in the glow that Nico seemed be putting off. 

“Bottom, top, over, under… whatever, just promise to do that again. Soon,” Nico smiled.

Max couldn’t help but grin back. “I promise. Trust me, I have a strong urge to just take everything I want right now.” 

Nico lifted his head, looking into Max’s eyes. “So you do want to fuck me,” he said softly. 

Max groaned as a flare of pleasure ignited in his core. “Yes. So much yes.” 

Nico smiled again, absorbing the sensual sound of Max’s groan. “Good. That’s good.” 

“And you want that from me?” Max said, knowing the answer but wanting to hear it anyway. 

“More than anything,” Nico whispered.

“And you’ll get it. Very soon,” Max promised. 

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Nico waited in the small living room area of the condo he’d been sharing with Max since they left New York and came to Florida. He paced back and forth across the tile floor, stopping to look out the sliding glass door for any sign of Max. When there was none, he returned to pacing. 

Max was auditioning for the job at the bar and grill next door and Nico was anxious to know how it went. Max was an amazing chef, but there was always the off chance that they wouldn’t know a great guy when they saw him. 

Nico sat on the couch and turned on the television, hoping it would distract him while he waited. He knew Max had been worried about their financial situation and that had made Nico worry for Max. This job, if Max did get it, was going to help them and allow them to stay put where they were for a while longer. He wanted so much for Max and he wanted to be able to stay with him for as long as he could.

Max used the key to come into the complex through the back gate, thinking about how that commute home would be about as good as you could ever get. He was exhausted, surprised by how his muscles were out of shape just in the time he’d been out of a kitchen. He was surprised not to see Nico in a chair by the pool so he went on through the screen door and toed off his shoes. “Nico?” he called into the condo, staying on the porch for a moment as he got rid of his socks as well. 

Hopping up from his seat on the couch, Nico rushed to greet Max. “Hey!” he said brightly, leaning in to hug Max. “How’d it go?” Nico asked with a hopeful smile.

“Careful, I smell gross,” Max warned as Nico leaned in. “But you are looking at the new lunch service line cook,” he said with a smile.

“That’s great!” Nico replied as enfolded Max in a hug despite his warning. “I knew it! I just knew it!”

“The pay isn’t great...lunch service never is, but it gets my foot in the door,” Max said, kissing the top of Nico’s head. 

“And it isn’t going to be forever. It just gives us some more time to figure it out. Right?” Nico laid his head against Max’s chest. 

“Right,” Max said, feeling relieved in a way he hadn’t in weeks. “And they did say they have pretty high turnover for busboys and runners so we might be able to get you in there too.” 

Nico pulled back to smile up at Max again. “That would be awesome. Should I go talk to someone or put in an application?”

“I told them to let me know the next time they had an opening. So hopefully I make a good impression and they take my recommendation.” Max leaned down and gave Nico a quick peck on the lips. “Now let me go grab a shower and then we can celebrate.” 

“Okay,” Nico said as he finally released Max. “I’m really glad you got it,” he smiled.

“Me too,” Max said. “Now I don’t have to go sell myself on the corner to pay our bills,” he teased. 

“That was an option?” Nico asked teasingly.

Max playfully poked Nico in the stomach. “You think I wouldn’t get a good price?”

Nico laughed as he bent and grabbed his stomach. “I know you would. But then I wouldn’t have you all to myself.”

“There’s enough of me to go around,” Max laughed. His smile turned to a wince though as he stepped up into the condo. “I’m definitely going to need a soak in the hot tub tonight.” 

“You okay?” Nico’s expression quickly changed to one of concern. 

“Just out of shape,” Max said, stripping out of his clothes as he headed toward the bathroom. “Too much good living,” he said, throwing a smile over his shoulder at Nico. 

“If you say so!” Nico called after him, watching Max until he disappeared into the bathroom.

Max was quick in the shower, just wanting to get the grease and sweat off. He was still hot from the kitchen but he kept the water hot anyway because it made him feel more clean. He was flushed bright red by the time he was done and the first thing he did when he got back into the bedroom was crank the ceiling fan up to high. 

Nico waited in the living room. Feeling much more relaxed with Max’s good news, he was on the couch with his legs stretched out, flipping through channels on the television. 

“Anything good on?” Max called through the open door, sprawling out on the bed naked under the fan to try and cool off. 

“No, not really.” Nico leaned forward to peer through to the bedroom. “I thought you were going to get dressed,” he said with a smile.

“I’m too hot to put clothes on right now,” Max said, lifting his head to grin back at Nico. 

“So you would probably be too hot if I came in there, too, huh?” Nico asked as he clicked the button to turn off the television. 

“Probably,” Max said, flopping back against the pillows. “But I’m willing to test the hypothesis.” 

“Would it be better if I took off my clothes, too?” Nico grinned as he got up from the couch. 

“You’d be cooler,” Max said. “That’s a fact.” 

“You sure about that?” Nico grinned before he pulled his tee shirt off and laid it on the dresser on his way to the bed. 

“I’m sure. Now whether you stay that way for long, that’s another story,” Max said, shifting up onto his elbows to watch Nico undress. 

Nico met Max’s gaze and held it as he finished undressing then crawled onto the bed with Max. “I don’t want to make you hotter than you already are,” he said with a smile. 

“Somehow that isn’t terribly believable given the fact that you just got naked and crawled into bed with me,” Max pointed out. 

“Want me to go?” Nico asked, his expression betraying the fact that he didn’t want to do any such thing. 

“I said no such thing,” Max said, reaching out and dragging his finger along Nico’s collarbone. 

“Good. Because I like here. With you.” Nico’s gaze dropped to Max’s hand, his dark eyelashes soft against the light freckles on his cheeks.

“You can be here with me any time you want,” Max said softly, his finger still lightly tracing its path. 

Nico looked up, his eyes focused on Max’s face. “Promise?” 

“Promise,” Max said, lifting his gaze from his finger to Nico’s face. 

Nico nodded slowly. “Good. Because I want.”

Max smiled. “I want too.” 

Reaching up, Nico took hold of Max’s hand, looking at his long, slender fingers. “Can’t help thinkin’ about what we did this morning,” he told Max.

Max’s stomach flipped pleasantly. “Yeah? Good thoughts?”

“Oh yeah…” Nico purred. 

“And how do you feel? Sore at all?” Max didn’t want to push, but Nico’s words and actions were definitely getting a rise out of him. 

“No. I’m not sore.” Nico turned Max’s hand in his, bending his hand to kiss his palm. He looked back up at him. “Do you want to do something to make me sore?” he asked seductively.

“You shouldn’t ask that,” Max said, pulling their joined hands to his own lips. “You’ll make me want to push you into something you are ready for yet.” 

“I’m ready. I’m just trying to get you to believe it,” Nico countered, his skin warm where Max kissed it. 

Max smiled, remembering what it was like to be Nico’s age. “I want to wait until I know you’re ready...not just that you think you are ready. There’s so many ways for things to go bad, I want everything to be right for you. You deserve it.” 

“But we’re naked. In bed,” Nico whined softly. 

“You are the one that came in here and joined me,” Max teased. 

“You could at least kiss me.” Nico tilted his head, a slight pout on his lips.

“I could,” Max said, pretending to think it over before pulling Nico closer and kissing him gently. 

Nico moaned softly as they kissed, slipping his arm around Max’s waist and moving closer, molding his body against his lover’s.

Max pulled Nico up and over until he was on top, letting him have control. The kiss moved deeper and he let his hands start to roam. 

Using his knees for leverage, Nico rocked his body against Max’s, their cocks rubbing with each sway. 

Max groaned with pleasure. “This is more than kissing,” he murmured against Nico’s lips.

“But it’s good, yeah?” Nico replied with a soft sigh as he continued to move against Max.

“Yeah,” Max whispered. “I promise I didn’t plan this.” 

Nico kissed Max’s jawline, his hips still rocking. “Well… now you know the consequences of lying around naked.”

“I think you are going to like my post-work ritual when it’s this hot outside,” Max smiled, resting his hands on Nico’s hips to help coordinate their movements. 

“Looking forward to it,” Nico murmured before kissing Max’s neck.

“I’m going to stop talking now,” Max said, the shift of his hips taking on more urgency. 

Nico reached between them, holding his cock with Max’s to increase the friction. “You get me so hard,” he rasped.

Max murmured in agreement and then closed his eyes, focusing on Nico’s touch. He couldn’t remember ever being with anyone else where just this would have been enough, but being with Nico was different in every way. 

“Feels so good,” Nico mewled as he moved faster. “Can’t wait ‘til you fuck me for real.” 

Moaning as he let that mental image wash over him, Max nodded in agreement. As much as he wanted that he knew it would be so much better if they waited. Bending his knee and planting his foot against the bed for leverage he rolled them both over until he was on top. 

Nico gasped with surprise at the change but quickly recovered. Lying on his back now, he used both hands to stroke their cocks against the other. He hoped what he was saying to his lover was contributing to their building pleasure. “It’s gonna feel so good with you inside me.” 

Max almost involuntarily started to thrust his hips, mimicking what Nico was describing. He smothered Nico’s words with another kiss, this one almost hard enough to bruise. 

Imagining how the reality of what he’d described would feel, Nico whimpered and shuddered beneath Max as his release spilled over his hand. 

The sight of Nico absolutely falling apart beneath him shoved Max over the edge as well and his seed joined his lover’s coating their hands as they still continued to move. 

Nico smiled, mouth slack with pleasure and breathless from their passion. “So good,” he mumbled. “Is it always this good?” 

“When you are seventeen, absolutely,” Max smiled, carefully rolling to the side to take his weight off Nico. 

Lifting the hand covered with their cum, Nico looked at it then turned his head to look at Max. “So nothing special if you’re 37?”

“Being with you is very special,” Max said honestly. “But you asked if it is always good, and I wouldn’t be telling you the truth if I said yes. I think most people have some horror stories.” 

“See? I knew I was lucky. Because I have you,” Nico said softly. 

“I think we are both pretty lucky,” Max said, leaning over to give Nico a kiss. 

Smiling when they parted, Nico looked at his hand again. “You’re going to have to take another shower,” he teased. 

“Think we can both fit in there?” Max grinned. 

“Maybe?” Nico replied. “Enough to get wet anyway.”

“Sounds good enough to me,” Max said, sitting up and swinging his feet around to the floor. “I’ll get the water going.” 

Nico rolled off the bed and padded to the sink to wash off his hands before he followed Max into the small room where the shower was located. He slipped his arms around Max for a hug and kissed his shoulder. Nico was happy, content, and he loved being with Max this way. And now that Max had the job next door, he was going to be able to be with him for a little longer. 

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Max looked over his shoulder, suddenly realizing that Nico was no longer right beside him. The Farmer’s Market was packed, as usual, and it was easy to get separated if you weren’t paying attention. Doubling back, Max found him staring at some eggplant that were as big as a baby. “Wow. That would make a lot of eggplant parmesan.” 

“We should get one,” Nico encouraged. “All the things you make with parmesan are awesome.”

“Do you like eggplant?” Max asked, even as he was already moving further into the booth to gather a few more items. 

“I do,” Nico nodded. “My mom used to make it,” he added as he examined the various sizes available.

“Okay. Pick a good one.” Max gathered some tomatoes and onions and checked out the bunches of herbs that were on display. 

Nico selected one of the medium-sized eggplants. There were only two of them after all and he knew he wouldn’t be able to eat half of one of the gigantic eggplants. 

“See anything else at this stand?” Max asked before getting in line to pay. Nico was already notorious for leaving them both completing laden down with bags by the time they left the market with everything he picked out. 

“Did you get some garlic?” asked Nico, pointing to a basket containing the large bulbs.

“I think we still have a little at home, but it wouldn’t hurt to grab another. You know how much I like garlic,” Max said. 

“Good thing I like it, too,” Nico said, loud enough for only Max’s ears. 

“Are you saying I smell like garlic?” Max whispered back with a smile. 

“Nope,” Nico replied cheekily. “But you taste like it sometimes when we kiss,” he whispered.

“Since I’m usually cooking for you, you do too,” Max teased. He’d moved to the front of the line so he paid for their haul and put it all away in their reusable bag. “It’s good that we basically eat together all the time.” 

“It’s a good arrangement,” Nico agreed. “There’s a guy over there selling olive oil,” he said as he pointed in the direction of where the stand was located. “And it’s right next to the lady who sells the chocolate croissants you like.”

“Am I that predictable?” Max asked as they wound their way through the crowd. “Why don’t you go pick out our pastries and I’ll get the oil,” he said, knowing Nico would gawk at the tables full of treats for long enough for him to catch up. 

“Okay,” Nico agreed eagerly. He smiled at Max before leaving him to wind his way through the other shoppers. He took his time evaluating all the delectable pastries on display then finally gave the lady his order. Nico had just finished paying for his purchase when Max rejoined him. 

“What did you get us?” Max asked, his eyes scanning the table that was bursting with tasty treats. 

“Chocolate for you. I thought you might want to try something different today, but they looked pretty amazing so I got that anyway,” Nico grinned.

“You could have gotten me one of each,” Max laughed. “I’m sure you’ll work those calories off me.” 

“Any time,” Nico replied as they started walking. “I got apple cinnamon. Haven’t tried that one yet.”

“Good choice. What else did you want to look for?” They’d been coming regularly enough that they had their favorite vendors and regular shopping list, which made navigating the market much easier.

“I got pastry. I’m good,” Nico answered with a soft laugh.

“I want to get some fruit and then we can head out.” Max made sure Nico was with him before cutting sideways through the crowd. 

“Let me hold the bags while you look.” Nico took the bags with the vegetables and herbs when they arrived at the stand with the fruit. 

Max passed over the bags and made quick work of picking up some citrus and a flat of strawberries. “This should do us,” he laughed, both of them struggling to carry their share of the load. 

“Good thing you got to park close this time.” Nico stopped to readjust, taking care not to drop anything or damage their purchases.

“The produce gods were with us,” Max said, struggling to fish the keys out of his pocket. 

“When I get my license, I can drive us over here,” Nico pointed out. 

“Good thinking. We should try to get that figured out.” Max loaded his bags into the car and then helped empty Nico’s arms. “Leave the pastries up front.” 

“I figured I wait until I was 18 to try though. That way I’m legal and everything. No questions,” Nico explained. 

“Makes sense,” Max nodded. They climbed into the car and carefully made their way out of the crowded parking lot. Instead of turning back toward the condo, Max turned the other direction. 

“Did you need to make another stop?” asked Nico.

“You’ll see,” Max smiled. He drove them down to a small park that was right on the water. There were shaded benches and lots of winding footpaths. He’d scoped it out a few weeks before and today seemed like the perfect time to stop.

“A park!” Nico said brightly as Max pulled the car into a parking place. 

“I thought we could take our treats and go sit by the water. Just relax for awhile.” Max reached over and grabbed the bag. “What do you say?”

“Great idea!” Nico replied. He got out of the car, smiling, pleased with the unexpected treat. 

“Should have thought ahead and bought us some coffees but I think we can manage without,” Max said, locking up the car. 

“There’s a water fountain over there if we get thirsty.” Nico pointed over Max’s shoulder. 

“Good eyes.” The walked a little until they found the perfect bench. A beautiful view out over the water and a nice breeze blowing in. “We spend so much time at the condo. This is a nice change.” 

“It’s pretty here. You know? Like everywhere we go, it’s prettier than it was in the city,” Nico said as he pulled his pastry out of the bag. “The plants. The water. Even the heat is different.”

“So much less concrete and asphalt,” Max said with a nod as he dug out his chocolate croissant. “Smells better too.” 

“I’m really glad we came here. To Florida,” Nico said before biting into his croissant.

“You don’t regret leaving behind everything you ever knew?” Max asked. 

Nico shook his head. “I’m where I want to be.”

“So am I,” Max said softly. “The situation that got us here was terrible, but I can’t say I’m sorry it happened.” 

“Me either. I’m not sorry,” Nico agreed. “Because it let me be with you. Gave me the chance to know you… to love you.”

Max paused, mid chew. He glanced over at Nico, wondering if the other man realized what he’d just said. 

“Don’t freak out,” Nico pleaded softly. “I wanted you to know. I needed to tell you.” 

Max swallowed and then leaned over and kissed Nico’s temple. “I’m not freaking out,” he said softly. “I feel the same way.” 

“Seriously?” Nico asked, a wide smile spreading across his face. He leaned into Max, his hand on Max’s thigh. 

“Seriously,” Max promised. He hadn’t let himself think about it in those terms, but now that it was out there it felt completely right. 

Nico glanced around to see that they were rather secluded at their bench. He looked back at Max. “Can I kiss you? On the lips?” he whispered. 

“Always,” Max whispered back. He was beyond the point of caring, and Nico was the one he wanted to be with even if other people couldn’t understand. 

Nico tilted his head as he leaned in to press his lips against Max’s. He was kissing the man he loved and the man who loved him in return. 

Max could taste the apple and cinnamon on Nico’s lips, making the kiss even sweeter. The kiss was innocent and tender, a physical expression of what they’d just confessed. 

Still smiling when they parted, Nico was floating. Max loved him. He had been sure of his own feelings for a while, but knowing that Max felt the same about him filled him with a level of happiness he’d never known. 

“Your smile might break your face it’s so big,” Max teased. 

“Can’t help it,” Nico replied. “It’s like the best day ever.” 

“Ever?” Max laughed.

“Ever,” Nico said without hesitation.

Max couldn’t resist leaning over and kissing Nico’s cheek. “Love you,” he murmured. 

“Love you,” Nico replied, his cheek warm from Max’s kiss. 

Max turned back to his pastry. “Eat up, you’ll need your energy later.” 

“To help you make eggplant parmesan?” Nico grinned before he took a big bite of his apple cinnamon croissant.

“Yeah, that too,” Max said with a wink. 

Nico laughed around his mouthful of pastry, his eyes sparkling with happiness.


	8. Chapter 8

Max had to squeeze past a group of ladies at one of the high top tables around the bar in order to get to the door back home. He was tired from his shift and the ladies were well on their way from liquid lunch to happy hour. Once he managed to thread his way through them all he sighed with relief as he pushed through the gate back into the condo complex. It was a little cool and overcast, strange for this time of the year but not unwelcome. He wasn’t surprised to hear the gurgle of the hot tub, but he had to smile when he saw that the occupants were Nico and most of the ladies of the complex. 

Nico looked up to see Max. “Hello! Finished with your shift?” he asked from his seat in the hot tub between Ethel and Miriam. 

Max nodded. “And it looks like you are all enjoying the afternoon,” he said with a wave. 

“Ethel made some of her famous brownies. I saved you some,” Nico told him with smile. 

“I wondered if you are really eating them. You’re so skinny. Both of you. You don’t look like you eat,” Ethel piped in. 

“I just sweat it off in the kitchen,” Max laughed. “Trust me, your baked goods never go to waste.” 

“Oh, well then. Good,” Ethel said, her cheeks heating up from more than the hot water. 

Nico grinned at his boyfriend. He didn’t mind that most of the ladies in the complex had crushes on Max. Between the sexy accent and the tall, dark and handsome thing he had going on, he could hardly blame them.

“Now I don’t know where he puts them,” Max said, pointing at Nico. “Thin as a rail but I promise he eats.” 

Nico started to say that he sweated his off in other ways, but held his tongue. The ladies never questioned his and Max’s relationship and he wanted to keep it that way. 

Max saw Nico blush and knew what he was thinking. “Are you guys staying in for awhile? If so I’ll go take a quick shower and join you.” 

“We’ve got a bridge game to get to,” Miriam replied. “But Nico hasn’t been in as long as we have so he’ll probably wait for you,” she added, smiling as she moved toward the steps. 

“Nico, remember to come by tomorrow. I’m making lasagna. I know Max makes it better, but I want you to try mine anyway,” Ethel said as she stood up to follow Miriam to the steps. 

“Sure thing, E. I’m a good taste taster,” Nico replied.

Max smiled and shook his head. Nico had all the ladies wrapped around his finger. 

The ladies filed out of the hot tub, leaving Nico looking lonely. “Want me to wait for you?” he asked. 

“If you don’t think you’ll be cooked by the time I come back out. I just want to get some of the grease off.” Max squatted down next to the hot tub while they talked. 

“I can go back to the pool until you come back out?” Nico suggested, smiling up at Max. 

“Good plan. See you in a few.” Max waited just long enough to ogle Nico as he got out of the hot tub before he headed in to hit the shower.

Nico had the pool to himself so he did a few laps to pass the time. Max had taught him well and he was swimming as if he’d always known how. 

After his quick shower, Max threw on his swim trunks and went to join Nico. “Let me cool off in here first and then we will move over,” he said as he grinned and then cannonballed into the pool. 

Raising his arms to shield him from the water spray, Nico laughed. “Excellent form!” he yelled.

“Thank you, thank you,” Max laughed, paddling over to Nico. “I knew the water would be cold today so that was the best option for getting in.” 

“Yeah, it’s been cloudy all morning,” Nico said. “A little windy, too.”

“Probably a storm blowing in,” Max said, glancing up at the sky. “There weren’t as many boats in as usual for lunch.” 

Nico liked the summer rain storms; they cooled things off. “How was work today? Bet you were still busy.”

“I’m settling into a good rhythm,” Max said. “I’ve just about got the entire menu memorized so that makes things go a lot faster.” Max dunked down under the water and then slicked his hair back out of his face. “So is there afternoon hot tubbing every day and I usually just miss it?”

“Not everyday. It’s usually too hot, but they like to take advantage of a cloudy day,” Nico grinned as he explained the routine. “I came out to check for dolphins and they wouldn’t take no for an answer so I had to get in.”

Max laughed. “They like to dote on you.” 

“Yeah,” Nico replied, tilting his head shyly. “It’s kinda like having a grandma. More than one.”

“Yeah, if my grandma was here she’d be doing the same thing to you. Feeding you and taking care of you. It’s what they do.” Max floated over to the edge of the pool so he could hang on and just let his legs float. 

“Think I could meet your grandma?” Nico asked. He and Max had confirmed their feelings but Nico wasn’t sure how much he shared with the family he had left. 

“If we are still around by the time winter comes you will definitely meet her. She’ll be here demanding her bedroom back,” Max laughed. 

Nico smiled, splashing some water in Max’s direction. “You know what I mean…”

Max let go of the edge and floated over to Nico. “I’d be happy for you to meet her. She’d like you.” 

“You really think so?” Nico asked brightly. 

“I know so. Especially now that you’ve been vetted by all her friends,” Max teased. “She knows you are a good egg.” 

Nico smiled, pleased with Max’s response. “She’s a good egg, too. Letting us crash in her condo.”

“She’s probably just glad it’s us. She doesn’t want it to sit empty but she doesn’t entirely trust renters either. So we’re doing her a favor really.” 

“I don’t know what would have happened to me if I didn’t have you to call that night,” Nico said quietly as he slowly treaded water next to Max. “You saved my life.”

“The universe brought us together for a reason,” Max said, goosebumps raising up on his arms from the cold water and the thought of what things would be like without Nico. 

Nico nodded. “And the universe owed us one,” he said, a bitter edge of truth to his joking tone. 

“I think it owes us a couple,” Max said, squeezing Nico’s arm below the water line. “Let’s get in the hot tub.” 

They moved toward the steps in the shallow end of the pool, Nico climbing out before Max. He headed for the hot tub, pausing to set the timer before he got into the warm, bubbling water. 

Max settled into the corner where he could enjoy the jets coming from two directions. “Now this feels good,” he sighed. “I see why you all like it.” 

“Miriam says it’s good for her arthritis,” Nico said matter-of-factly. 

“Definitely feels good on my legs and back so I’d say she knows what she is talking about. I worry about all of them sometimes getting up and down these steps.” 

“They’re careful. They hold onto the railing. And I help, too. When I’m here.” Nico touched Max with his foot and smiled. “That’s cool how you care about them.” 

“I’m glad you look out for them. They’d never admit to needing it.” Max rubbed his foot against Nico’s and smiled. 

“They’re like a family,” Nico said. “I mean, they all have families, somewhere else. But the group here, it’s like another family.”

“I think that’s why they like it here. There are fancier places on the island, but this has everything they need while being small enough that everyone knows each other. Which is also why they’ve adopted us.” 

Nico nodded in agreement. “That’s why it’s a good place to be your cvtch,” he said with a warm smile.

“Exactly. And you are a big part of that too,” Max said, finding Nico’s hand beneath the water. 

Nico’s smile widened as he gave Max’s hand a soft squeeze. 

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Max whistled softly as he carried an armload of towels down toward the office. He paused at the gate to look back and make sure he hadn’t dropped any before pushing through. He couldn’t tell if Cindy was in the laundry room or the office, so he made the turn into the laundry room. Just as he went he saw two men enter the office and the sight of them stopped him in his tracks. There was just something off about them. It wasn’t unusual for people to stop in the office to see if there were vacancies or just to ask for a tour of the property, but for some reason Max got a feeling that wasn’t the case. He dropped the pile of towels where they belonged in the back of the laundry room and started toward the office to ask Cindy for a new stack. He paused at the door as the sound of their voices drifted out. 

“I’m sorry, but I can’t divulge information like that on our guests,” he heard Cindy say. The man’s response was gruff and part of him wanted to come to Cindy’s rescue but the other part of him wanted to wait and see what was happening. “We know Mrs. Davies owns a unit here. We just need to speak to her for a few minutes.”

Max felt his heart leap out of his chest. His blood rushed in his ears and he turned on his heel. The men hadn’t mentioned Nico but Max couldn’t take a chance. That had to be why they were here. The towels forgotten he tried to walk as naturally as he could, but as fast as he could down the length of the complex toward their unit. 

Nico was lounging by the pool and Max stopped by his chair, positioning his body between Nico and the office. “I need you to go inside. Right now,” he said, his voice low trying not to alarm Nico or any of the other sunbathers, but needing him to understand the urgency of the request. 

“Okay…” Nico replied as he got to his feet and picked up his towel. He was confused by Max’s request, but he could tell by the tone of Max’s voice that he should just do as he asked. He looked at Max as they moved together toward the door to the condo. “What’s up?” Nico asked as they hurried inside. 

“I need you to go in the bathroom and close the door. Don’t come out for any reason until I tell you it is safe,” Max pushed Nico toward the bedroom, his eyes scanning the condo for any telltale signs that two people lived there. 

“Wait. Why?” Nico asked even as he started for the bathroom. 

“I think they are here looking for you,” Max said, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

The color drained out of Nico’s face. “How?” he rasped before taking another step toward the bathroom. 

“I don’t know,” Max said, grabbing Nico before he went further and pulling him into a quick hug. He kissed him on the forehead and then let go. “I’m going to try and stall them.” 

“No!” Nico grabbed at Max. “Hide with me!” he whispered urgently. 

Max shook his head. “They will just come back if there isn’t anyone here to answer their questions. I promise I’ll be safe.” He shooed Nico toward the bedroom and then went back out in the living room, prepared to meet them at the door. 

Nico hesitated, but he went inside the bathroom and closed the door. His heart was racing. He was scared, more for Max than himself. The thought of something bad happening to Max was worse than what might happen to him. Nico pressed his ear against the door, straining to hear something. 

“Excuse me! Can I help you gentlemen with something?” 

Max pulled back, waiting just inside the door. He was sure Miriam was speaking to the men he’d seen earlier, and the last thing he wanted to do was walk right out into the conversation.   
“Have you seen this man?” Max heard rustling like they were holding out papers. He wondered if it was a picture of him or of Nico. 

“No. Who is he?” asked Miriam. 

“That’s not important. What about Max Davies. Have you seen him recently?” Max held his breath. He didn’t know what Miram might do, but he hoped that her fondness for Nico was keeping her from selling them out. 

“Max? Brenda’s grandson? Oh heavens no. I haven’t seen him in years. I think it was 1995. No wait, it was before the hurricane. It must have been 1994. No wait…” 

Max exhaled softly as he heard the other ladies chiming in, arguing back and forth over hurricane names and dates and he probably imagined it but he thought he heard one of the men sigh with impatience. “Is she here?”

“Is who here?” Ethel asked while Miriam tried to convince the others that Hurricane Opal was in 1995.

“Brenda Davies,” the man growled. 

“Brenda? Of course not. Brenda never comes down until October. Why are you looking for Brenda? You’re not from that magazine sweepstakes are you? Because I enter that every year and I’ve never heard a peep…”

Max carefully eased the sliding door shut and pulled the curtain closed as silently as possible, just in case the men decided to come look for themselves. Instead it seemed they’d turned and started to leave, he could hear the ladies’ voices getting more distant as they continued to chatter. 

Several minutes later, there was a soft knock on the screen door and Miriam’s voice. “The coast is clear. We watched them drive away.”

Pulling the curtain back just an inch, Max checked to be sure Miriam was really alone at the door. A wave of relief washed over him and he opened the door and couldn’t help himself as he gave the tiny woman a bear hug. 

“Where’s Nico?” Miriam asked. 

“Hiding in the bathroom,” Max said, releasing her. “I can’t thank you enough.” 

“I’m from Jersey. I knew what they were about the moment I saw them,” Miriam said with a shake of her head. “I don’t know why they’re looking for Nico and I don’t care. I know Nico is a good kid.” 

Max nodded. “He is. He really is.” With another round of thanks, Max sent Miriam on her way. He knew her escapade would be the talk of the pool circuit for days. Once he was alone he went into the bedroom and shut the door before tapping lighting on the bathroom door. “It’s safe.” 

Nico pulled the bathroom door open, looking over Max’s shoulder. “What happened? Where are they?”

“They’re gone. Miriam and the girls saved us.” The adrenaline that had flooded his system was starting to wear off and it made his knees wobble. He sat down on the edge of the bed and opened his arms, needing Nico closer. 

Falling into Max’s embrace, Nico held on for dear life. He’d been so frightened, left alone in the bathroom with only his imagination as to what was happening to Max.

Max squeezed Nico tightly. “They knew my gran lived here. So somehow they’ve connected the two of us.” 

“I’m so sorry, Max,” Nico mumbled against his shoulder. 

“Don’t be sorry.” Max pulled back and waited for Nico to look at him. “I’m not sorry. And you shouldn’t be sorry either.” 

Nico lifted his gaze to meet Max’s, his eyes watering with tears. “I was so scared they were going to hurt you.”

“And I was scared I wasn’t going to be able to protect you,” Max admitted, running his hands up and down Nico’s back in an effort to comfort him. “But they’re gone. We’re safe.” 

Nico leaned in again, laying his head on Max’s shoulder. “I love you so much,” he said softly. 

“I love you too,” Max whispered. “I tried to deny it for a long time but I think that deep down I’ve known it ever since I ran away with you that awful day.” 

“I knew you cared about me. That time you took me to the diner. You were worried about my black eye.” Nico held Max tighter as he talked. 

“It was none of my business, but I couldn’t stand seeing you like that,” Max admitted. “I would have taken you away right then and there if I hadn’t thought you would think I was abducting you.”   
Nico smiled. “I wouldn’t have minded be abducted. Especially by you.”

“You say that now,” Max smiled back. “But at the time I was just some creepy guy from the restaurant.” 

“You were the nice guy from the restaurant.” Nico countered. He kissed Max’s cheek. “The one I looked forward to seeing.”

“Only because I fed you,” Max teased. He finally felt his shoulders relax, tension draining from his muscles. 

“Your artichokes are pretty amazing…” Nico murmured.

“I knew it,” Max laughed with a shake of his head. “Only in it for the food,” he said softly, kissing Nico’s neck. 

“Yeah, just keep telling yourself that,” Nico teased, tightening his hold on Max.

“I will,” Max said, squeezing back. “Now we better get back out there before the stories get out of control. Who knows what Miriam is saying about all of this.” 

“She can tell them we are aliens from another planet. I’m just glad she’s on our side,” Nico said as he stood up. 

“Agreed,” Max said, taking Nico’s hand. 

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Max pushed his sunglasses up on his head and turned his face up to the sky. A huge puffy white cloud was obscuring the sun, but it looked like it would blow on by before long. He rolled his head to the side and laughed when he found Nico frowning about the loss of light. “It’s just a cloud, you’ll be baking again in a few minutes.” 

“As long as it doesn’t rain,” Nico said, shooting the cloud a threatening look. “Sure, it’s all white and puffy now. Then before you know it, it’s pouring rain. Florida had deceptive clouds.”

“Poor thing. At least you have all day out here, I have to go to work soon,” Max pointed out. 

“Sorry.” Nico’s glare turned apologetic. “Do you like it okay over there? The work, I mean?” 

Max looked back up at they sky, watching the cloud’s progress. “I do. It’s much less stressful than New York. I mean I’m not making innovative cuisine by any means but they pay well and the hours are good which is about all you can really ask for, right?”  
Nico thought for a moment before replying. “Well, it’s not all,” he said quietly. “If you’d rather be doing something else. Like making innovative cuisine.”

“And what about you?” Max said, turning the tables. “Is laying by the pool every day enough for you?”

“Yeah,” Nico smiled. “I have a killer tan.” He raised his arm to show Max. 

“You do,” Max agreed. “So you like it here?”

“I do like it here,” Nico said with a nod of his head. “It’s not like New York though.”

“Do you miss New York?” Max again rolled his head to the side so he could see Nico in profile.

“I really don’t.” Nico’s voice was quiet. 

“Me either,” Max said. He paused for a long moment, hesitating to bring up what had been on his mind for the last few days. 

“Really?” Nico asked as he turned to face Max. “You don’t want to go back then?”

“No, not really,” Max confessed. “But I’m worried about staying here.” 

Nico nodded. “I was thinking about that, too. We got lucky, but what if they try again?”

“And we’ll need to be out before winter anyway…” Max took a breath before he continued. “I think we should look for a place of our own here.” 

“Our own. Like for both of us,” Nico smiled. “Together.”

Max nodded. “I do hate to break this to you, but I don’t think we can afford a place with a pool on what I make.” 

“That’s totally fine,” he said eagerly, sitting up in his lounge chair. 

“Although knowing the love the ladies here have for you they’d probably invite you over whenever you wanted,” Max teased.

Nico grinned. “Think we can find somewhere close? It won’t be right next door to work, but hopefully not too far away.”

“Hopefully. We’ll have to start looking and see what’s out there.” Max sighed as he realized what else that meant. “And it means I’ll need to drive up to New York to get my stuff. Not looking forward to that drive again.” 

“Is that safe? What if they are still looking for you?” Nico asked, obviously concerned for Max.

“I’ll make sure not to come straight here. They still don’t have any proof we are together. I’ll make a stop for a few days somewhere else to make sure they aren’t still watching me.” 

Nico shook his head. “I don’t like it. Can I come with you?”

“I think it’s safer for you to stay here. Otherwise we might be seen together. And anyway, this is all still a few months away. We have time to think about it.” Max didn’t mean to upset Nico, it had come out of his mouth before he really thought about the implications. 

“But you get why I don’t want you to go, right?” Nico asked. 

Max nodded. “I don’t want anything to separate us either,” he said, giving voice to what he was sure they were both feeling. 

“I can’t lose you, too,” Nico said quietly, reaching over to take Max’s hand. He was usually very careful about any public displays of affection, but he needed to touch Max as he tried to make him understand.

Max turned his palm over so he could lace their hands together. “I understand,” he said, giving Nico’s hand a squeeze. 

Nico nodded. The lump in his throat wouldn’t allow any response. 

“So when do we start apartment hunting?” Max said, trying to lighten the mood. “I don’t want it to cut into your pool time.” 

Smiling again, Nico gave Max’s hand one last squeeze before he released it. “Can you apartment hunt at night?” 

“It’s always good to check a neighborhood after dark before you decide to move there,” Max confirmed with a smile. “I like your thinking.” 

“They have some ads at the grocery store, too,” Nico suggested. 

“Good thinking. And I think one of the ladies in the office has a realtor's license. We can check with her to see if she knows of anything that might not show up in the usual places.” 

“I think we have a plan,” Nico smiled. “Hey! Did you feel that? Was that a raindrop?” he asked as he searched the sky for the guilty cloud.

“I think it was your imagination,” Max laughed, settling his glasses back into place and relaxing back in his chair. 

◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶◀▶

Max popped the trunk on the car and then unloaded everything in his arms onto the pavement. He was covered in sand, a little sun and wind burnt, and just about as happy as he could be. “We should make sure we put the bags of shells on a towel so we don’t get the car all wet,” he said, as Nico worked on packing their things up. 

“I still can’t believe how many shells we found. They were everywhere!” Nico smiled brightly as he helped Max. “Did you know there would be that many?” 

Max shook his head. “I think they try to undersell it, just in case there aren’t many out for some reason. But I’ve never seen that many sand dollars before.” He was pleased that his surprise “date” had been such a hit. 

“I’ve only seen shells like that before in the gift stores, you know? It was so cool to walk and just pick them up,” Nico continued excitedly. 

“We need to take them home and clean them. I can remember as a kid having buckets of shells soaking in bleach water out on the porch of the condo all the time.” Max used a towel to try and get as much sand as he could off his legs and feet so he wouldn’t track it into the car. 

Nico followed Max’s example and attempted to clean off the sand as much as possible. He stopped to look at Max, still smiling from ear to ear. “Thanks for taking me there,” Nico told him. 

Max leaned over and gave Nico a quick kiss on the lips. “You’re welcome. I loved having a day just to ourselves.” 

“I love having you to myself,” Nico agreed. “I know we spend a lot of time together, but I like it when you share things with me. Like today.”

“You’ve been obsessed with getting out on the water since we got here. Even that first day. I’m just sorry it took me so long to get you out there. Even if we did stay close to shore.” Max finished loading the truck and slammed it shut. 

“It’s all good. I think I would have been more nervous a few weeks ago, but now that I know how to swim, I wasn’t worried at all. The boat ride was fun, especially coming back when it got a little bouncy,” Nico laughed.

“And I’m the one that took the brunt of that big wave, so you didn’t even get that wet,” Max protested.

“Yeah, I know!” Nico laughed again. “The look on your face…”

“No making fun of me,” Max said as they climbed in the car. “Or I won’t be nice and pack a picnic lunch next time.” 

“Dude. I was laughing _with_ you,” Nico explained as he tried to minimize his grin. “And lunch was awesome by the way.”

“Laughing with me, huh,” Max muttered, shaking his head. He pulled the car out of the parking lot to drive the few blocks back to the condo. 

Nico continued to chatter away about the lunch, the boat ride and the shells until they got back to the condo. They left their wet towels and the bags of shells on the porch as they tried to brush off the sand still clinging to their skin and damp clothes. “You never get it all out, do you?” Nico murmured as he slipped off his shoes.

“Never,” Max agreed. “Why don’t you strip down and hit the shower, I’ll jump in as soon as you are done.”

“Okay,” Nico replied, eager to be out of his wet, sandy clothes. “I won’t be long,” he said as he hurried toward the bathroom and the promise of a hot shower.

“Take your time. Don’t want any sand in uncomfortable spots,” Max called after him. 

Nico laughed again as he closed the bathroom door then turned on the shower to let it run for a minute. He was still smiling as he thought about Max and the great day he’d shared with him. 

Max put things away until it was his turn in the shower. He left Nico lounging on the bed watching tv while he showered. He took a little extra time enjoying the fact that they still had all evening to spend together. Having an entire day off work was nice once in awhile. 

Still sprawled across the bed watching a documentary about sharks, Nico turned his head to look toward the bathroom door when he heard it open. The show about sharks had been interesting, but the sight of Max wearing only a towel wrapped around his hips was definitely an attention-grabber. 

“Sharks?” Max said, glancing up at the television. “‘After being out in a boat today?” He crossed over to the sink and took a moment to brush his teeth. 

“Better to see them on TV than in person,” Nico said with a shrug, his eyes still on Max and his documentary forgotten.

“If you wake up tonight with nightmares I’m going to say I told you so,” Max said around a mouth full of toothpaste. 

Nico shook his head and smiled at Max’s threat. “If I wake up, you will let me sleep close until I go back to sleep.”

“Well yeah,” Max said after he’d rinsed his mouth. “But I’ll still say I told you so.” He went back into the living room just long enough to check that the door was locked and then returned to the bedroom and shut the door. “And I think you should turn it off now,” Max said, removing the wet towel from his hips and hanging it up on the rack. 

“Okay…” Nico said as he pressed the off button then put the remote on the bedside table. It took two attempts to land on the table since he was seriously distracting by Max’s nudity. 

Max joined Nico on the bed and leaned over and kissed his shoulder, the skin warm and brown from the sun. 

Nico turned his head, breathing in the clean scent of Max’s shower damp hair. “You smell good,” he whispered.

“You taste good,” Max murmured. “Like happiness.” 

“That’s because of you,” Nico told him.

“I think the feeling is mutual,” Max smiled, laying back on the bed. “I can’t remember a better day.” 

“Me either,” Nico agreed as he laid beside Max.

“Then I think we should keep the good things going,” Max said softly, reaching for Nico. 

Nico moved easily into Max’s embrace, his lips finding Max’s for a long, tender kiss. 

Max let his hands glide down Nico’s back and slide under the elastic of his underwear. 

Moaning softly, Nico pressed closer, his legs tangling with Max’s as they continued to kiss and touch. 

Max gently rolled Nico onto his back and he moved over on top of him, never breaking the kiss. Even though they’d been together many times like this, each time felt new and exciting.   
Nico wrapped his arm around Max’s neck and his hand slipped into Max’s hair as he held him close. Max felt good on top of him, their bodies pressed together. 

Max let his hand rest on Nico’s hip, his fingers rubbing back and forth across his hip bone through the soft fabric. When they broke to take a breath he sat back just enough to tug the fabric away, leaving nothing between them. 

Nico was aroused, his cock hard and straining against his belly. It never took much of Max’s touch or his kisses to get him that way and this time was no exception. 

Stroking his hands up and down Nico’s thighs, Max drank in the sight that entranced him every time. “I want to be inside you,” he said softly, shifting his weight down to his hands and hovering over Nico. 

“Like… for real?” Nico rasped in reply, his eyes wide and dark as he stared up at Max. 

Max pushed aside his doubts. He knew it was what he wanted. “Only if you are ready.” 

Nico searched Max’s face then nodded slowly. “I am. I’m ready. I want you, too.”

Pulling Nico into a crushing kiss, Max felt his heart racing. He couldn’t deny that he’d thought a lot about this moment, but now that it was here he hoped he could be everything Nico wanted. 

Framing Max’s face with his hands, Nico held him close as they kissed. He loved Max and he wanted to be with him in every way. 

Max reached between them and circled his fingers around Nico’s cock, stroking him slowly. Breaking the kiss he leaned back just enough to look him in the eye. “You have to tell me at any point if you need to slow down or stop, okay? Promise me.” 

“I will. I promise,” Nico replied. “And you’ll tell me what to do?” he added, suddenly afraid of letting Max down. 

“Just enjoy yourself. That’s all you have to do,” Max smiled. He reluctantly released Nico so he could dig what they needed out of the drawer. 

“Okay,” Nico said with a smile. He was fairly certain that he would be able to manage that part. 

“Roll over on your stomach,” Max urged with his words and his touch, unable to keep his hands off Nico even for a few moments. 

Nico did as he was asked, rolling over easily then looking over his shoulder as he awaited Max’s instruction. He felt trembly with excitement and anticipation.  
Max took his time, kissing and touching every inch of Nico’s back, gradually moving lower and lower. He slid his fingers down in the cleft between his cheeks, his fingers pressing against Nico’s hole. 

His nerves on edge, Nico tensed at first then quickly relaxed under Max’s touch. They had shared this kind of intimacy before and Nico was eager for more despite his nervousness.

As much as Max would like to see Nico’s face, he knew it was easier to start like this. Slicking his fingers Max gently started to work him open. They’d done this before, but this time it was charged with extra energy as they both knew what was to come. 

Nico began to move, pushing back on Max’s fingers as he slowly stretched him. 

Max smiled at Nico’s eagerness. “Just like that,” he murmured, rolling and twisting his finger. 

Slowly nodding his head in response, Nico rocked back, his body jerking when Max’s finger rubbed over his prostate. 

Max couldn’t resist focusing on that same spot for a few more moments until Nico was writhing under his touch. 

Nico moaned Max’s name, a plea for more, anything that Max wanted to give him. 

Pulling away, Max rolled on a condom and got more lube, pausing for a moment to try and tamp back his own arousal. He didn’t want to be too close to the edge when they started. “Lift your hips a little,” he said softly, nudging Nico’s knees up a little. 

Moving in slow motion, his mind clouded with sensation, Nico did as Max said.

Max inched forward on his knees, crowding in close, and then used his hand to steady his cock as he nudged the head up against Nico’s entrance. 

Nico pushed up on his elbows and looked over his shoulder. His face was flushed and his bottom lip was swollen from the way he had scraped his teeth over it while he focused on every moment and every sensation. 

The look on Nico’s face about undid Max completely. He inhaled sharply, his cock throbbing as he inched forward. 

The pressure Nico felt was not new; he and Max had experimented with that before, Max using his fingers to penetrate him. It was different this time though and Nico held his breath as he gradually stretched around the slow push of Max’s cock. 

“You’re doing so good for me,” Max said softly, using one hand to steady Nico’s hip. “I love the way you feel.” 

“You feel good, too. Big,” Nico replied. He had the urge to move, but he kept as still as he could manage while Max eased deeper inside him. 

Max felt the abortive twitch in Nico’s hips and he gave him a little squeeze with his hand. “You can move if you need to. Do what feels good.” He resisted the urge to push further in, waiting for Nico to adjust. 

Nico rocked back on his knees, the slight movement enough to push Max’s cock deeper. The slight burn of his stretched hole was strange to him and he understood the reason Max was taking it slow with him. 

Easing into the rhythm Nico set, Max inched deeper every few thrusts. He continued to murmur quiet words of encouragement and praise. 

Bracing with his knees, Nico moved with Max, meeting each push. 

Max groaned as he bottomed out, Nico’s body clenching and trembling around him. “That’s it baby, you’ve got it all.” He bent forward, kissing Nico’s back. 

Nico’s head dropped forward and he closed his eyes, immersing himself in the sensation of being with Max like this, being his lover. 

Starting to move again, Max thrust strong and steady, his own need swelling. He’d imagined this moment for so long, but the reality far exceeded his expectations. 

Nico’s erection had faded when Max was slowly entering him, but as Max began to push against his prostate again, his cock began to stiffen.

“Okay?” Max asked, needing to check in. He stilled his thrusts momentarily, just gently circling his hips. 

“Yeah,” Nico replied breathlessly. “Don’t stop!” he whined, his back arching as he lifted his head again. 

“Shhh,” Max soothed, his hand on the small of Nico’s back. “I’m gonna take care of you,” he promised. Sitting back on his knees, Max pulled out and then helped Nico roll over on his back. 

Dazed from their activity, Nico was sluggish in movement, but he managed with Max’s help. Nico looked up at Max, his eyes dark and longing. 

Max helped Nico bend his legs up and then he took Nico in hand as he pushed back inside. 

Nico gasped when Max entered him. His breaths became soft pants edged with moans of pleasure as Max began to move again.

Stroking Nico’s cock in time with each thrust of his hips, Max drank in the pure expressions of pleasure that flashed across Nico’s face. “You look beautiful like this.” 

Reaching for Max’s arm, Nico gave it a squeeze and held on. The silent gesture conveying what he couldn’t put into words .

As much as he would have liked to last longer, there was no way Max could hold on with how tight and hot Nico was. He could feel his hips starting to stutter, and he moaned softly. “So close.” 

Nico nodded in reply, letting Max know he was right there with him. 

Max groaned and let go, his body tensing as the rush of pleasure slammed through him. Nico’s name was on his lips, a moan of pleasure that echoed off the ceiling. 

Watching his lover as Max climaxed, Nico smiled, filled with happiness that he was sharing this Max at last.

The aftershocks were intense, and Max bent forward to kiss Nico as he came down. 

Nico kissed him tenderly, whispering against Max’s lips. “Love you.” 

“Love you,” Max whispered back. He gathered his strength and pushed back up on his knees, and resumed stroking Nico’s cock. He needed to see him fall apart and know he’d had as much pleasure as Max had. 

Whimpering softly as Max began to work his cock again, Nico stared into Max’s eyes as he came, his body shuddering in pleasure.

Max smiled down at Nico, savoring the moment. “Good?” he asked softly once he could tell Nico had recovered. 

Nico shook his head. “Great,” he said with a smile before leaning up to kiss Max again. 

“Great,” Max repeated between kisses. “I wanted to do right by you.” 

“You did,” Nico told him. “You’re awesome.”

“I try,” Max grinned. 

“I figured you’d be good at it,” Nico said with a smile.

Max gave him another kiss. “Well in all fairness, you don’t have anything to compare it to.” 

Nico shrugged in agreement. “But you do,” he said. “Did I do okay?”

“You were perfect. Absolutely perfect,” Max whispered, staring into Nico’s eyes. 

Nico pulled Max in for another kiss, pressing his smiling lips against his. 

“I can’t wait to do it again,” Max murmured into the kiss. 

“Me, too,” Nico agreed. “Best. Day. Ever.”


	9. Chapter 9

Nico turned the pumpkin slowly as he moved the knife in a circle around the stem. It was thicker than he’d imagined so he was taking care to go slow so the knife wouldn’t slip or the blade break off inside. He knew Max was particular about his knives and he tried to be careful whenever he used one of them. He heard the front door open and he looked up to see Max coming in.

“Hello,” Nico said with a smile as he stopped what he was doing and turned his attention to Max.

“Carving pumpkins?” Max asked, dropping his work bag by the door so he could immediately get out of his shoes. 

“Just one. Mrs. Clarkson said we might have trick-or-treaters so I thought I’d make a Jack-o-lantern for the front,” Nico explained while he wiped his hands on a dish towel. 

Max leaned down and dropped a kiss on Nico’s head on his way to change out of his work clothes. “Excellent idea.” Nico had really taken to the idea of having their own home, and Max wasn’t surprised at all that he’d decided to make it welcoming for the holiday. 

“How was work?” Nico asked as he tossed the towel aside and followed Max.

“Good,” Max said, stripping out of his clothes and changing into a t-shirt and shorts. “Things are starting to pick up a little, I guess high season is getting closer.” 

“Want to help me with the pumpkin?” Nico smiled hopefully.

“You looked like you had it under control, but I’d be happy to watch and offer unsolicited advice,” Max grinned. 

“You don’t want to help me with the icky stuff inside?” Nico tilted his head and gave his lover the best pleading look he could manage.

“Ah ha,” Max laughed. “Now I see. You want a Jack O’ Lantern but don’t want to scrape out the innards?”

Nico smiled and nodded. “Will you help me? Please? You can save the seeds and roast them.”

“You’ll owe me,” Max said with a wink. 

“Deal!” Nico agreed eagerly, practically bouncing on his feet as he hurried back to the kitchen.

Max followed him and took a seat at the table, watching as Nico finished working on the top. “Have you thought about what you want the face to look like?”

“Yes. Triangle eyes and nose. And a smile with two teeth, one on the bottom and one on top,” Nico replied. 

“A classic.” Max waited until Nico had removed the lid and then started cleaning out the guts. He worked with his hands at first before switching over to a spoon to scrape the sides. 

“I knew you’d be better at that than me.” Nico grinned, staying out of Max’s way as he worked.

“You just didn’t want to get your hands dirty,” Max teased. “Talent has nothing to do with it. As Nico had suggested, he loaded the innards into a bowl so he could pick through and get the seeds later. 

“I don’t mind getting my hands dirty. Just not with pumpkin goo,” Nico countered. 

“I’ll remember that.” Once the pumpkin was properly cleaned he turned it back over to Nico. “Time for the art,” he said. “Are you going to draw on it with a pencil first or go right at it with a knife?”

“Drawing first,” Nico answered as he pulled a Sharpie out of his pocket. “But I thought I would use this. Think it’ll be okay?” he questioned as he held it up for Max to see.

“That works too.” He watched Nico study the pumpkin as he started in on the seeds. “Is this your first carved pumpkin?”

“It is,” Nico replied with a nod. He looked at Max and gave him a bashful smile. “I’m a little nervous,” he confessed. 

“Let me tell you a secret,” Max said, leaning in to whisper conspiratorially. “If you mess up we can buy another one.” 

Nico laughed softly. “Thanks for taking the pressure off,” he said, turning his head. “How about a kiss for good luck?”

“I can manage that.” Max pushed just a little further and it brought him close enough to give Nico a kiss. 

Nico lingered in the kiss. His smile was brighter when he did finally pull back. “You’re the best,” Nico said softly before he turned back to the pumpkin. 

“I try,” Max said. He had the urge to just grab Nico and kiss him again, but his hands were still covered in pumpkin goo. 

An hour later, Nico took a step back and evaluated the pumpkin with a critical eye. “Is that top tooth too big?” he asked out loud. 

Max leaned around and checked. “I think you could shave just a hair more off. Or leave it like that and give him a bucktooth.” 

“I think I’ll take some off,” Nico decided. He carefully shaved some pumpkin off the square tooth and turned it into a rectangle. Nico stepped back and smiled. “Done!” he announced happily.

“It’s perfect,” Max said, after checking out Nico’s work. “Very festive.” 

“I need to get a candle for it before Halloween,” he said as he moved over to the sink to wash the knife and his hands. 

Max started cleaning up the table. “And we’ll need candy too. This pumpkin is sure to attract the trick or treaters.” 

“Thanks for helping. And understanding,” Nico said as he dried his hands.

“Any time,” Max said, throwing away the papers that had been covering the table. “I’ll be your knight in shining armor and rescue you from the icky stuff.” 

“You are, you know. My knight.” Nico handed Max the towel.

“Does that make you my princess?” Max laughed, drying his hands before sliding his arms around Nico’s waist. 

“I guess, if you’re into that sort of thing,” Nico joked as he leaned in to Max’s embrace.

“I’m into pretty much anything that involves you,” Max whispered. 

Nico turned just enough to get his arms around Max’s neck. “That works out pretty good. Since I’m that way about you, too.” 

“Glad to hear you aren’t sick of me yet,” Max said softly, kissing Nico’s forehead. 

Nico just smiled. He knew that he would never be sick of having Max in his life. Nico tilted his head so that he could kiss Max on the lips again. 

“Any objections to skipping dinner for now?” Max murmured, already walking them toward the bedroom.

“None at all,” Nico replied as he moved with Max, his hand already slipping under Max’s shirt. 

“We can order pizza later,” Max promised, lifting his arms so Nico could strip off his shirt. 

“Sounds good.” Nico’s hands went immediately to the button and zipper on Max’s shorts as they made their way toward the bed. 

Max liked it when Nico was eager like this. It was fun to be the object of so much need and desire. 

Nico let go of Max just long enough to pull off his own shirt and to unzip his shorts. In only moments, they were both naked and entwined on the bed, kissing and touching.

Max knew this wasn’t going to be a long slow build, but he took advantage of the few unhurried moments at the beginning to touch Nico all over. He never got tired of exploring his body, and he always learned something new about the way Nico liked to be touched. 

Nico kissed Max’s skin wherever he was able to reach, moaning softly as Max kissed and caressed him. He felt treasured; Max made him feel wanted and dear to him. 

“Love you,” Max murmured against Nico’s throat, kissing and nuzzling the hollow there. “Have I told you that lately?”

“Yes…” Nico replied. “I love you, too. So much,” he added softly as his hands tangled in Max’s hair. 

“Good. I don’t ever want you to forget it.” Max found the lube and condoms where they’d stashed them under the pillows. The never seemed to make it back to the drawer, they were in pretty much constant use these days. 

“I won’t,” Nico whispered as he helped Max with the condom. He looked into his lover’s eyes. “I’ll never forget.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t still show you every day, right?” Max sat back on his knees and pulled Nico in closer until his thighs were spread across Max’s lap. 

Nico shook his head, biting his lip as he smiled up at Max. “Show me,” he said boldly despite the blush on his cheeks.

Max stroked his hands along Nico’s thighs and then took his cock in hand. “I love that I make you this hard when we haven’t even started.” 

Moaning with Max’s touch, Nico rolled his hips, pushing into Max’s hand. 

Releasing his grip, Max coated his fingers with lube and nudged Nico’s legs up so he could start to stretch him. He teased at Nico’s entrance for a moment, just to hear the needy moan he knew it would elicit. 

“I need you inside,” Nico whined as he urged Max to hurry. 

“I know you do baby,” Max whispered, letting his fingers push inside. ‘I’m going to take good care of you.” 

“Please hurry,” Nico said breathlessly, begging for more with his words and the way he responded to Max’s touch. 

Max moved quickly, but he still made sure that Nico was prepped enough before he moved on. He understood the younger man’s impatience, but good things come to those that wait, right? Once he was satisfied he leaned forward and pulled Nico into a kiss as he pushed inside. 

The sound Nico made when Max finally pressed inside him was one of pure need and desire. It was muffled against Max’s lips as they kissed, but it was audible to his lover. 

Max closed his eyes and reveled in the sounds Nico made and the way his body felt. He didn’t even need to move at first, the pleasure was enough. 

Nico tilted his head back, his eyes closed as he focused on the way Max felt inside him as he began to move. 

Bracing his hands on the bed on on both sides of Nico’s torso, Max set a quick pace. They were both keyed up and needed it hard and fast. 

With his arms around Max, Nico clung to him as Max thrust inside him. Each powerful push gave Nico pleasure as he whimpered softly next to Max’s ear. 

“Good?” Max asked softly, always feeling the need to check in. They were still new enough to this he didn’t take anything for granted. 

“Oh yeah, don’t stop,” Nico pleaded.

“I won’t,” Max promised. He lifted up on his arms just enough to be able to look down the length of their bodies and watch where they were joined. 

Nico’s hands slid down to grip Max’s biceps. “So good,” he rasped, holding on as Max moved inside him.

Max let out a groan as Nico squeezed down on his cock. “Not going to last if you keep that up.” 

“Don’t want you to… want you to come,” Nico responded.

“You ready to go with me?” Max asked, tightening up his hips and driving into Nico again and again. 

“Yeah,” Nico cried softly, his body already arching and clenching beneath Max.

“Do it,” Max said sharply, his body tensing as his climax slammed through him. His movement stuttered his hips jerking as he rode out the waves of pleasure. 

With the stimulation of Max’s body against his and inside him, Nico’s cock pulsed between them.

Max carefully lowered himself down onto his elbows once he had control of his body back. He kissed Nico softly, soaking in the afterglow. 

Nico brushed his lips against Max’s, exchanging more soft kisses, neither of them eager to move after the passion they shared. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this,” Max smiled down at Nico. 

“You better not,” Nico warned as he gave Max a smile of his own. 

“Or else?” Max asked with a soft smile. 

Nico laughed. “Or else I will be very horny.”

“That would be a travesty,” Max rolled to the side, his exhausted arms needing a rest. 

“Yeah!” Nico agreed eagerly, snuggling up to Max’s side.

“Not to worry. I’ll always take good care of you,” Max said, shifting so their bodies fit together perfectly. 

“Looking forward to it,” Nico replied softly. 

 

THE END


End file.
